Bangladesh calls for regional cooperation among SAARC countries for development

DHAKA, June 14 -- Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Sunday said regional cooperation among member states of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is imperative to quicken development of life status of 1.40 billion people in the region.

Addressing a SAARC seminar on science and technology here on Sunday, Hasina said achieving the prime objective of SAARC, which is to ensure people's welfare, will be possible through enhancing regional cooperation in economic, social, cultural, science and technology sectors.

Academics and scientists from eight member states of SAARC attended the two-day seminar which aimed at identifying common problems and resolutions and setting recommendations for benefit of the people in the region.

Three articles on "Current Good Manufacturing Practices in Pharmaceuticals Sector," "Radiation Processing" and "Insects Resistant Crop Variety for Sustainable Agriculture" -- will be presented at the seminar.

Referring to the articles to be presented in the seminar, Hasina said the outcome of the seminar will help the SAARC countries improve life status of 1.40 billion people of the region.

"We've to take also combined efforts to accelerate the region's prosperity and development," she said.

Hasina said the SAARC countries will have to be linked with the process of modernization in the present era of globalization and the natural and human resources need to be enriched.

SAARC comprises Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.