India's relations with Bangladesh are better now than ever and this is a tribute to the legacy and belief of Bangladesh's Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman that ties between neighbours should be exemplary, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Syed Akbaruddin has said. Akbaruddin said Bangabandhu’s daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is a true inheritor of her father’s belief that ‘ties between neighbours should be exemplary and we are happy that our ties have just grown from strength to strength.
"Our ties with Bangladesh today are perhaps better than ever and this is a tribute to Bangabandhu's legacy," Akbaruddin said at a commemorative event styled ‘Remembering Bangabandhu A Voice for the Oppressed’, organised by the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to mark the 44th death anniversary of Bangladesh's founding father on August 15, 1975.
Akbaruddin said, “It is the greatest tribute to Bangabandhu that the present leadership of Bangladesh is implementing his vision of what he wanted for Bangladesh.” The senior Indian diplomat noted that Bangabandhu's journey was an unwavering belief in democracy, a passion for social justice and an emphasis on cultural inclusivity and identity that led to the liberation of Bangladesh. "Now, these are all values that we at the UN cherish and nourish, Akbaruddin added.
Underscoring that ties between India and Bangladesh are special in many ways, Akbaruddin said the two countries are bound by a common cultural and linguistic heritage of a language. The national anthems of India and Bangladesh were written by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. "Bangladesh's Amar Sonar Bangla' and India's Jan Gana Mana' are visible bonds that indicate how two countries have owed their heritage to one common culture. Our ties are also forged in common aspirations and sacrifices," he said.
Akbaruddin said Bangabandhu’s lasting legacy is his vision of development in Bangladesh. "Frankly, very soon after Bangabandhu's death, Bangladesh ran into difficult situations as was just mentioned and there were people who said Bangladesh is an international basket case. Today, it is a transformation that I don't know, who said it, but if he was around, he should be eating his words.
Akbaruddin said Bangladesh today is an example of how a country should be approaching its development and growth, whether in terms of economic development, education, social indicators, technology, banking, rural development and women's empowerment. He expressed the hope that India will extend help as Bangladesh celebrates the 100th anniversary of Bangabandhu's birth. "We hope we can help in any manner because it is important to recall struggles and achievements of the rich legacy of heroes of our past and the UN is the right place to do it.”
