Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai)

Bangladesh PM asks India’s young to rise above communal barriers

- Sumanta Ray Chaudhuri

Asansol:bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday surprised the audience at Kazi Nazual University in Bengal’s Burdwan district by asking youths to rise above communal barriers.

“Many of you will enter profession­al life after completing your studies. I have only one request to all of you. Value humanity above everything else. Always treat human beings with respect. Rise above narrow self interest and communal barriers,” Hasina said at the university’s special convocatio­n where she received an honorary Dlitt.

The Bangladesh Awami League president frequently speaks against radical Muslim groups in her country but she never spoke on communalis­m during her recent visits to India.

“It is our duty to stop youths from getting swayed by global terrorism. I seek cooperatio­n from all my neighbours in the combat against terrorism in the region,” she said. The special convocatio­n coincided with the third convocatio­n at KNU in Asansol town.

Hasina also asked the students to follow the example of legendary poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, the national poet of Bangladesh, in promoting communal harmony. “In his works, Kazi Nazrul has always spoken of communal harmony. That is why he lives in the hearts of Indians and Bengalis. Similarly, Gurudev Rabindrana­th Tagore belongs to both the countries,” Hasina said. She raised the Rohingya issue and sought cooperatio­n of India and other neighbouri­ng countries to solve the refugee crisis.

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