Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pankaj Saran yesterday stressed the need for strengthening the democratic institutions and strong democratic process in Bangladesh.
India and Bangladesh were good friends and to contain democracy the two countries were working together, he said at a discussion in the capital.
He said Indians had confidence in the wisdom of the people of Bangladesh. As a good friend and well-wisher of the people of Bangladesh, India hopes Bangladesh’s constitutional and democratic institutions and democratic process would be strengthened.
The discussion titled “Ideological Basis of Indo-Bangla relation and Election 2014” was organised by Forum for Secular Bangladesh and Trial of War Criminals of 1971 at Dhanmondi.
The programme marked the 42nd anniversary of India’s recognition of Bangladesh as an independent country.
Pankaj Saran said they were looking forward to further strengthening the relationship between the two countries.
He said the relation and friendship got stronger footing now and it would continue in future.
Saran thanked Bangladeshi people for their acknowledgements of India’s help in the Liberation War in 1971.
Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmud Ali said: “After the death of Bangabandhu Bangladesh started to walk backward. The villains are trying to do the same now also as it did in 1975.”
He said the Indo-Bangla relation was now the best in 42 years.
Planning Minister Air Vice Marshal (retd) AK Khandker said: “It is not possible to forget the help of India in the war time.”
The programme, chaired by Shyamoli Nasrin Chowdhury, was also addressed by Vice-president of the Forum Professor Muntassir Mamun.
In his speech Muntassir Mamun urged the government to select a specific place to bury the war criminals.
