Dhaka [Bangladesh], December 15 (ANI): During the meeting with President Ram Nath Kovind, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina recalled with gratitude the role of India in Bangladesh‘s War of Liberation, the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

Both the leaders have expressed satisfaction at the celebration of Maitri Diwas and progress on the work of Bangabandhu Bapu Museum and biopic on Bangabandhu,” the ministry said.

“Meeting the Indian President @rashtrapatibhvn, PM #SheikhHasina recalled with gratitude the role of India in Bangladesh‘s War of Liberation. They expressed satisfaction at the celebration of #MaitriDiwas and progress of the work of Bangabandhu Bapu Museum and biopic on Bangabandhu,” it said in a tweet.

Earlier today President Ram Nath Kovind paid tributes at the National Martyrs’ Memorial to those who sacrificed their lives for the Liberation War of Bangladesh. President Kovind arrived in Dhaka today and was received by Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid and First Lady Rashida Hamid.

The President is on a three-day visit to Bangladesh from December 15-17 to attend the country’s 50th Victory Day celebrations as a guest of honour.

“This visit is in context of 50th Victory Day celebrations in Dhaka at which Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid has invited President Kovind to represent India as a guest of honour,” Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Tuesday during a press briefing in New Delhi. This is the maiden visit of President Kovind to Bangladesh since the COVID-19 outbreak.

The President’s visit provides an opportunity to renew India‘s bonds with Dhaka, Shringla said, adding that the relations are based on a shared geographical space, heritage, history, and shared experience of New Delhi’s support to Bangladesh during its war of liberation. (ANI)

India, Bangladesh have reached ‘a very high point’ in bilateral relationship: Shringla

Dhaka [Bangladesh], December 15 (ANI): India and Bangladesh have reached a very high point in bilateral relationship, said Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla after President Ram Nath Kovind held a series of meetings with the top leadership of Bangladesh.

“What was apparent in the discussion was that we have reached a very high point in our relationship. The Honourable Foreign Minister referred to this as a ‘sonali adhyay’ (golden era),” said Foreign Secretary during the special briefing on the President’s Visit to Bangladesh.

“The discussion covered a broad range of areas that are part of our bilateral relationship. The most important part was to talk about the spirit of 1971, the legacy of Bangobando and how we can continue to work together in that regard,” he added.
Shringla said that in President Kovind’s discussions with Bangladesh leadership it was clear that “we have reached a very high point in our relationship. The Honourable Foreign Minister (Bangladesh) referred to this as an ‘sonali adhyay’ (golden era),” he said.

During the talks between President Kovind and Bangladesh leadership there was a sense of satisfaction at the level of cooperation during the COVID-19 pandemic, Shringla added.

“India had been quite quick in providing both medicines and vaccination to Bangladesh. We have supplied some 2.18 crore doses of vaccines so far. We also arranged for trains of liquid medical oxygen. We also acknowledged the assistance provided by Bangladesh to India, when we had our devastating second wave,” he said.

Foreign Secretary further summed up today’s engagement, saying that “we are two countries that mutually reinforce each other and are there for each other. And that message was really there.”

“We have resolved the most difficult issues in the most amicable manner. Very few countries are able to do this. We have been able to resolve both land and maritime boundaries,” he added.

President Kovind is on a three-day state visit to Bangladesh from December 15 to 17, which is his first state visit since the outbreak of the COVID pandemic. President Kovind landed at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka this morning.

President Kovind today met both Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. (ANI)

President Kovind held comprehensive meeting with Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina: Shringla

Dhaka [Bangladesh], December 15 (ANI): Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Wednesday said that President Ram Nath Kovind met with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and held a comprehensive discussion, which encompassed many areas of the multifaceted relationship between the two countries, including jointly preserving the legacy of ‘Bangabandhu‘ Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the 1971 Bangladesh‘s War of Liberation.

“With the Bangladesh Prime Minister, the discussion was comprehensive encompassing many areas of our multifaceted relationship, including jointly preserving the legacy of Bangabandhu and 1971 war, particularly among the youth of both our countries,” he said while addressing a special Ministry of External Affairs briefing in Dhaka.

President Kovind, arrived at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka this morning for a three-day visit.

The Foreign Secretary also said that President had substantive meetings with both Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen. He said: “With the Foreign Minister, the President expressed satisfaction on the excellent progress made and multifaceted bilateral partnership and emphasised the important role that the Financial Ministries play in such bilateral relationships.”

Shringla also said highlighted that the senior-most three dignitaries from India had visited the close and friendly neighbour —Bangladesh. “As you know this year is very significant to the relationships. It marks the three veiny of the establishment –the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the state of Bangladesh, the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries and also the 100th anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” he said.

“On this occasion, we have had the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit, and now President Ram Nath Kovind‘s visit. It is a rare conjuncture in which we have had the three of our senior-most dignitaries visit the close and friendly neighbour in one year,” he added. President Kovind, landed at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka this morning, where he was received by Mohammad Abdul Hamid, the President of Bangladesh himself, Press Secretary to the President informed in a release.

The President was accorded a ceremonial welcome and given Guard of Honour at the Airport. Thereafter, he visited the National Martyrs’ Memorial in Savar and paid tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War of Bangladesh. Subsequently, he visited Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at 32 Dhanmondi where he paid homage to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Father of the nation of Bangladesh.

In the afternoon, the President met the political leadership of Bangladesh – President Mohammad Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen. In these meetings, the President congratulated the government and people of Bangladesh on the historic occasion of Mujib Borsho, the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Bangladesh and 50 years of India-Bangladesh bilateral relations. He said that the Liberation War of Bangladesh was an inspiring episode in recent history and India was honoured to be a part of it.

He said that, 50 years ago, India and Bangladesh began a special friendship which was laid in commonalities of language, kinship, religion and cultural ethos as well as mutual respect. The President reiterated that Bangladesh has a special place in India’s ‘neighbourhood first’ policy. He said that India’s development partnership with

Bangladesh is one of the most comprehensive and wide-ranging ones. At the same time, our relationship is mature enough to handle most complex of problems. President Kovind will be in Bangladesh till December 17. This is the first foreign visit of President Kovind since the COVID-19 outbreak. (ANI)