Bangladesh pledges not to shelter international terrorists

Nov 3, 2009, 9:18 GMT

   Dhaka - Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed on Tuesday declared that her Muslim-majority nation would never allow international terrorists to operate in the country.

   'Bangladesh will never allow its territory to be used for launching any terrorist activity,' Hasina told the secretary general of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu.

   The head of the 57-nation group met with the Bangladeshi premier in Dhaka during a three-day visit.

   Ihsanoglu said his organization is working toward the development of education, science and technology, trade and commerce and curbing terrorism.

   Hasina also sought OIC assistance to fight the possible adverse impacts of climate change on the South Asian country, her deputy press secretary Mahbubul Haque Shakil said.

   Bangladesh is identified by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as one of the countries most vulnerable to the effects of global warming.

   The OIC chief also planned to meet with Bangladeshi President Zillur Rahman and senior government officials, and was scheduled to deliver a lecture on the Islamic bloc's vision of key challenges for the 21st century.