State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam yesterday said Bangladesh and India would have to work together to alleviate poverty and expedite economic development in the region and thus ensuring mutual benefits.
“One country will have to come forward in another country’s danger…in real sense, Bangladesh and India will have to work together,” he told a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club in the city.
Bangladesh India Citizen Society (BICS) arranged the discussion on ‘Bangladesh-India Friendship’ with BICS executive president Jafar Iqbal Siddiqui in the chair.
Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Prof Mizanur Rahman, Counsellor (Political & Information), Indian High Commission in Dhaka Sujit Ghosh, Prof Dr Syed Anwar Hossain, Dr Enamul Haque, BICS Secretary General Monoranjan Ghosal, Dr Uttam Kumar Barua and Nazmul Haque Prodhan MP, among others, spoke on the occasion.
Speaking as the chief guest, Shahriar said the existing ties between the two countries have reached such a stage from where they can only march forward. “Trust and confidence between the two countries have been restored.”
Stressing strengthening people-to-people contact, he said it will help remove misunderstanding between the two sides if any such misunderstanding prevails.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently said Bangabandhu founded Bangladesh and his daughter, Sheikh Hasina, saved Bangladesh.
Referring to the comment, the state minister yesterday said it reflects Indian new government’s positive attitude towards Bangladesh. Mizanur Rahman said Bangladesh needs a good friend like India but India must stop killing along the border to keep the friendship unhurt.
“If you’re our friend, please stop killing along the border. It appears as thorns on friend’s way,” he said.
The national rights body chief said no such incident should take place between the two countries that might create cracks in the friendship.
Later, in his speech Shahriar Alam said killings along the border have come down significantly in recent days.
Sujit Ghosh said India is fully committed to taking forward the existing friendly relations between the two countries.
