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India remains committed to assisting Bangladesh towards a strong economy and greater prosperity, President Ram Nath Kovind said here on Friday, highlighting the “uniquely close” relationship between the two countries based on age-old ties of kinship, shared language and culture.
President Kovind made the comments while addressing the Indian community in Bangladesh before concluding his first visit to this country.
He arrived in Bangladesh on Wednesday on a three-day state visit at the invitation of his counterpart M Abdul Hamid to attend the golden jubilee celebrations of Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan in the 1971 Liberation War.
“Bangladesh has a special place in the hearts of Indians. Ours is a uniquely close relationship based on age-old ties of kinship, shared language and culture,” he said.
Reiterating support for Bangladesh, Kovind said that India will stand in support of a Bangladesh that embodies the values that emerge from the Liberation Movement of this country.
“India remains committed to assisting Bangladesh in its journey towards a strong economy, partnering with you as you proceed to greater prosperity,” he said.
President Kovind also paid tribute to the enormous sacrifices made by the people of Bangladesh to achieve freedom from tyranny.
“We salute your indomitable courage in fighting against the formidable odds, and standing up against injustice,” he said.
“I am confident that the bond forged by blood and sacrifice in 1971 will continue to bind our nations together in future,” he said.
The war in 1971 broke out after the sudden crackdown past midnight on March 25, 1971 in the erstwhile East Pakistan by the Pakistani troops and ended on December 16. The same year Pakistan conceded defeat and unconditionally surrendered in Dhaka to the allied forces comprising freedom fighters and Indian soldiers.
Officially three million people were killed during the nine-month long war.
