"Terrorism is anti-thesis to both human rights and democracy, as by its very nature, terrorists acts are often indiscriminate targeting innocent civilians and violates rights," she said.

Sheikh Hasina, who is also the Awami league president, was addressing as special guest at a four-day international summit on "Democracy, Terrorism and Security" in Madrid, Spain, according to a message received in Dhaka yesterday.

Arranged by Club de Madrid, Spain's King Juan Carlos formally inaugurated the summit of former heads of the states and governments yesterday, in which more than 200 participants from 52 countries from across the globe are taking part.

In her speech, Hasina said terrorism has lately become a buzzword for the governments around the world, but they are far from gaining any grip on it. "It is mainly because of the way terrorism have always been approached by the international community where there were more divisions than unity."

"Even disregarding statements like one's terrorist is other's freedom fighter, the fact differing and narrow national interests have failed to uphold universality of values and dignity of human being, in others words, human rights," said Hasina, who is the 'lone victim of terrorism' attending the summit.

Explaining how counter-terrorism measures undermined human rights, freedom of opinion and speech, Hasina said counter terrorism measures around the world have directly led to many human rights violations, revealed in comparative studies of the legislation and their applications.

"In many cases, terrorism has been used as an excuse to repress the opponents, for arbitrary detentions and other similar violations. Instead of holding on to human rights as a counter-terrorism toll, states have opted to discard or restrict these rights, which may even give rise frustrations, alienation and further violence," she said.

The counter terrorism measures particularly intruded into the very right on which the free society was based on, freedom of opinion and speech, which have become victims of war on terrorism, she said.

Referring to democracy, Hasina said one of the important responses to terrorism should be globalisation of democracy.

"The democracy, with all its connotations, like access, participation, equal opportunities, rule of law, non-discrimination gender rights, good governance, openness etc, create an environment in a society where extremism, often translated into terrorism, have ways to accommodate and ventilate grievances, which are unavailable in a non-democratic society," she observed.

She opined that although human rights, norms have long been established, but there is not an instrument on mandating democracy, nor any ways to assess its extent and nature.

Hasina came up with a new suggestion to establish a global regime on democracy and a mechanism in the form of a "World Democracy Organisation", which will reward democracies.

"...democracy should be the basis of international, economic and commercial relations. Democracy has to be promoted, encouraged, sustained and protected through a framework," she said.

Through this globalisation of democracy process, the AL president said all out efforts must be made by the nations around the world to reach out to others, where democracies are non-existent or faltering.

Referring to a globalised justice system, Hasina said, step by step a global justice system has been developing for long. The system will work effectively only if it receives universal support, where the process will follow international norms of justice, she said.

On poverty and inequality, an underlying reason for terrorism, Hasina said the next approach to counter terrorism would be to address inequality of the global order, resources, its distribution and enjoyment, and in this regard, pervasive poverty must be addressed. In a world free from poverty and under democracy will be a near ideal world.

She also pointed out that a just world order, which is another important element, to be striving for a fair world order, where disputes and differences are settled more vigorously in peaceful manners.

On human development, she said attention should be given to maximise opportunity for human development in all corners of the globe, and in this regard, necessary resources be made available for the communities to set their priorities on education, health, income generation, production etc.