NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday extended greetings to the people of Bangladesh on their 54th Independence Day.
“On behalf of the government, the people of India and on my own behalf, I extend warm greetings and felicitations to Your Excellency and to the friendly people of Bangladesh on the occasion of your National Day,” President Murmu said in her message to her Bangladesh counterpart Mohammed Shahabuddin, according to news agency ANI.
“Bangladesh is at the focus of India’s “Neighbourhood First” and “Act East” policies, our SAGAR doctrine and the Indo-Pacific Vision. India reiterates its support for a democratic, stable, inclusive, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh,” she added.
PM Modi, on the other hand, wrote to Professor Muhammad Yunus, the leader of Bangladesh’s interim government, and reiterated India’s commitment for an advanced partnership with its eastern neighbour.
“This day stands as a testament to our shared history and sacrifices, which have laid the foundation of our bilateral partnership. The spirit of the Liberation War of Bangladesh continues to remain a guiding light for our relationship, which has flourished across multiple domains, bringing tangible benefits to our peoples,” PM Modi wrote.
“We remain committed to advancing this partnership, driven by our common aspirations for peace, stability, and prosperity, and based on mutual sensitivity to each other’s interests and concerns,” he added.
Bangladesh’s Independence Day, also called National Day, commemorates the country’s declaration of independence from Pakistan on this date in 1971. India, under then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, had played a key role in liberating what was then known as East Pakistan, from Pakistan.
However, New Delhi’s ties with Dhaka have been tense since August 2024, when Bangladesh’s then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned amid student-led protests against her, and came to India. Days later, the caretaker administration led by Yunus, a Nobel laureate, took charge.