Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that Bangladesh and India will hold the same vision for decades to come. I am confident that the people of Bangladesh and India will also make this idea a reality.
She made the remarks in a video message recorded on the occasion of India's Recognition and Friendship Day with Bangladesh on Monday (December 6).
The Prime Minister said Bangladesh and India are celebrating the golden jubilee of establishing diplomatic relations. This is a milestone in the journey of our bilateral relations. On 6 December 1971, India recognized Bangladesh as an independent and sovereign state.
During Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bangladesh on March 26-27 this year, we agreed to hold joint celebrations on December 6 in 17 selected cities, including Dhaka and New Delhi, to celebrate Friendship Day.
She said the foundation of Bangladesh-India relations was laid by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In 1972, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib said, we have a very special relationship with India. The relationship is the most friendly. The friendship of Bangladesh and India is in our heart. The bonds of friendship will remain strong and lasting. "Today, I am reminded of the generosity of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her government, the leaders of other political parties and the people of India as a whole to the people of Bangladesh in 1971," she said. They arranged accommodation for 1 crore refugees from Bangladesh. And by recognizing the Mujibnagar government, they launched a diplomatic campaign on behalf of Bangladesh.
The Prime Minister said that our partnership is not limited to agreements, memoranda of understanding, bilateral agreements that provide a formal framework for our working relationship.
Today, our huge partnership has matured, taken a dynamic, comprehensive and strategic shape and is built on the foundations of sovereignty, equality, trust and mutual respect.
She said the relationship between Bangladesh and India is based on the shared values of history, culture, language and secularism, democracy and countless other similarities. The Prime Minister said that due to regular high level political interactions and exchanges, our friendship has become stronger, more diverse and expanded in recent years.
She added that the key issue in bilateral relations now is the need to focus on people-to-people engagement, trade, business and communication, which has become increasingly important for both sides.
Sheikh Hasina said, Despite the restrictions imposed by Covid-19, our relationship is stable and strong." She also called for working towards strengthening the long lasting dynamic partnership between Bangladesh and India.