KATHMANDU: Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina has said that prosperity of the BIMSTEC member states was possible through political and economic reforms.

Addressing the 4th summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) that began here today, Prime Minister Hasina called for collective efforts to put an end to poverty and hunger in the region with the development and expansion of security, tourism, energy and connectivity.

BIMSTEC member states need to promote people-to-people relations by giving special priority to culture and public health, she added.

She shared that her government was working to increase the country's GDP, ensure education for all and bring about socio-economic reforms.

Thanking Nepal for hosting the summit, the Bangladeshi Prime Minister lauded the opening statement by Nepal's Prime Minister and BIMSTEC chair KP Sharma Oli, and termed it 'inspiring'.