London: In the wake of a series of brutal killings of bloggers by Islamists, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has emphasised that Bangladesh is a secular country where people are free to practice their religion.
Addressing members of the UK's Commonwealth Parliamentary Association at the House of Commons, Hasina yesterday stressed that Bangladesh is a secular country, saying, "in our country people are free to practice their own religion and live peacefully."
In the last few months, three secular bloggers -- Ananta Bijoy Das, Avijit Roy and Washiqur Rahman -- have been hacked to death in Bangladesh with radical Islamists claiming responsibility for the murders.
Referring to the recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh, Hasina, who is here on a two-day visit, said, "We have made a common mission to free our countries from poverty and ensure proper development."
"I have tried my best to create friendly relations with ours neighbours, particularly with India, Nepal and Bhutan," Hasina said. "We are lucky we have achieved a 6.1 per cent GDP growth this year. The poverty level has come down from 52 per cent to 22 per cent during the last few years and we have decided to further reduce it to 10 per cent in the next three to four years," Hasina said.
A reception was organised in her honour by leading Indian-origin Labour MP Keith Vaz and founder of a leading hotel Amin Ali.
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