When Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman liberated Bangladesh, he inherited a war-ravaged nation and knew that, without the right partnerships, he would not be able to support his people. Thus, he adopted the principle that has now become Bangladesh’s mantra: “Friendship to all, malice to none.”
To that end, it is extremely encouraging to see the progress we have made with regard to international diplomacy and foreign policy, particularly under the thoughtful leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and the five heads of states of neighbouring countries who are visiting this month -- this is testament to the fact that we continue to follow in the footsteps of Bangabandhu and use his teachings for extending friendship to all as a guiding light.
Indeed, as the presidents of the Maldives and Nepal, and the prime ministers of Bhutan, India, and Sri Lanka arrive to take part in celebrations to mark 50 years of Bangladesh’s independence along with Mujib Borsho, it is good to see that the government has understood the importance of these visits, and is looking to capitalize on these visits as an opportunity to further talks of bilateral agreements.
With several Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) in the works to be signed with all the nations, these are exciting times for Bangladesh, as it is poised to make a significant leap in its journey of development this decade. As we get closer to celebrating 50 years as an independent nation, it would do us well to continue to value partnerships, and thus reach the heights that this country is capable of.
