More world leaders have sent messages congratulating the people of Bangladesh on the occasion of the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Golden Jubilee of the Independence of Bangladesh. The leaders include -- President of the United States Joe Biden, Russian President Vladimir Putin, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, The Prince of Wales and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Joe Biden
Bangladesh is an “example of economic progress and a country of great hope and opportunity,” President of the United States Joe Biden said as he congratulated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasin and the people of Bangladesh for the remarkable achievements.
Biden gave a message on the occasion of the golden jubilee of independence of Bangladesh and the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The message was read out by the US ambassador in Dhaka, Earl Miller, at the national parade ground celebration of those occasions.
The Prime Minister was present at the ceremony along with her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi who is visiting Bangladesh for the occasion.
“Your hosting of one million Rohingya refugees is an example to the world of humanity and generosity. The United States will continue to be a steadfast partner in finding a durable solution to this crisis. I also applaud Bangladesh’s commitment on climate change and look forward to my Administration working closely with you on this important issue,” Biden said.
“The United States values our friendship with Bangladesh, and we believe that shared commitments to democracy and human rights form the foundation of strong partnerships. I look forward to working with you to strengthen these commitments to build an even brighter future for the people of our nations over the next 50 years and beyond.
“I extend my best wishes to you and the people of Bangladesh on this important and historic day of celebration,” read the message.
Vladimir Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin has termed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as an “outstanding leader”.
He gave a message on the occasion of the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation and the golden jubilee of Bangladesh’s independence.
The Russian ambassador in Dhaka read out the message at the national parade ground celebration of the occasions.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi who is visiting Dhaka for the occasion were also present.
Boris Johnson
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson congratulated the people of Bangladesh on their Golden Jubilee. He said: “It’s amazing to reflect on how much your nation has achieved since the circumstance of its birth.”
In a video message, Prime Minister Johnson remembered the historic visit of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to Downing Street in London in 1972, describing the visit as “instrumental in forging the friendship” between the UK and Bangladesh.
Prime Minister Johnson recalled fondly his visit to Bangladesh in 2018, when he was welcomed “with a great deal of warmth and generosity”.
He emphasised the bond between the UK and Bangladesh, “incarnated by the 600,000 strong British-Bangladeshi community who contribute so much to the United Kingdom every day”.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said his country will deepen relations and cooperation with Bangladesh.
Joint efforts in 2020, declared as "Mujib Borsho" on the occasion of Bangabandhu’s birth centenary, helped boost ties and cooperation on all areas on the basis of the common interest of peoples.
“The sentiment of brotherhood among our peoples, rooted in our common historical and cultural heritage, strengthens our mutual will to further develop our relations,” he said.
Erdogan made the remarks in a message addressed to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the occasion of Bangladesh’s 50 year of Independence and Bangabandhu’s birth centenary celebrations.
On the twin occasions, President Erdogan extended his heartfelt congratulations to the Prime Minister and the people of Bangladesh on behalf of his country.
He thanked the Prime Minister for the invitation to the “Mujib Borsho” celebrations extended on the occasion of the opening ceremony of Bangladesh Embassy’s new building in Ankara in September 2020, and through a letter dated Nov 2, 2020.
Imran Khan
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has congratulated Bangladesh on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh and the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in a message.
The message was read out by the Pakistan High Commissioner in Dhaka at the celebration of the events at the National Parade Ground in presence of President Md Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.
Bangladesh won independence against Pakistan in 1971. About 3 million people were killed and hundreds of thousands of women were raped by the Pakistan army and their collaborators. Pakistan never apologised for that.
“The centenary events to commemorate the late Prime Minister Sheikh Mujib ur Rahman are reflective of the deep affection and esteem in which he is held by yourself and the people of Bangladesh,” Imran Khan said, in his message.
“Pakistan deeply values its fraternal ties with Bangladesh, which are based on shared history, common faith, and convergent interests in promoting lasting peace and security as well as sustainable prosperity in our region and beyond.
António Guterres
United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres has lauded Bangladesh’s role in the world stage for ensuring global peace.
In a video message on the occasion of the golden jubilee of independence and the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, he said the people of Bangladesh has made tremendous strive in the last five decades.
Bangladesh played valuable role in the world stage as the largest contributor of peacekeeping, chair of the climate vulnerable forum and host of a million of Rohingya refugees, he said, adding that UN is a partner in this journey.
Prince of Wales
The Prince of Wales delivered a video message to everyone around the world celebrating the golden jubilee of Bangladesh, and expressed sadness that the pandemic had prevented him from visiting Bangladesh to mark the occasion.
Reflecting on the past fifty years, The Prince commended Bangladesh’s remarkable achievements, including: bringing more than 50 million people out of extreme poverty since 1990; increasing life expectancy and reducing infant mortality; and turning the economy into one of the fastest-growing in the world.
The Prince also commended Bangladesh’s “considerable leadership on tackling the existential threats from accelerating climate change” and welcomed “the role of The Honourable Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, in chairing the Climate Vulnerable Forum of nations most affected by the multiple threats of global warming, climate change and biodiversity loss”.
The Prince, who is Royal Founding Patron of the British Asian Trust, noted the Trust’s support for Bangladesh, and highlighted the Trust’s work in the past year which has included setting up COVID-19 sample collection kiosks, building on mental health awareness by providing counselling services, and supporting children missing out on school through a virtual education initiative.
