India’s socio-political, cultural and historic ties with Bangladesh is inextricably linked. Indian’s have sacrificed their blood fighting along with Bangladeshis to liberate the country from an oppressive colonial power 50 years ago.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh — his first after Covid-19 outbreak across the world — is high on both goodwill and symbolism. His visit to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s mausoleum — a first by any Indian PM — besides paying respects to Bangabandhu, is also a celebration of shared values of human freedom, global political order and democracy.
Both New Delhi and Dhaka are on the cusp of history with political leadership on both sides agreeing on the realpolitik of commerce, strategic interests and mutual benefit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspecting the Guard of Honour, at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, in Dhaka, Bangladesh on March 26, 2021. Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Ms Sheikh Hasina is also seen. (PIB)
Bangladesh isn’t an impoverished, cyclone-ravaged country anymore. With Bangladesh’s return to democracy in 1991, relations have gone through highs and lows. However, the 12-year rule of Sheikh Hasina has seen the successful economic transformation, macroeconomic stability, expansion of social security. In fact, according to an IMF Report, the South Asian neighbour’s per capita income is expected to remain on a par with India till 2025.
This also indicates that a lot is at stake for Bangladesh and India. As both economies grow, there is a lot to gain from well-structured economic and political cooperation.
Multilateral decisions take time and efforts to fructify, but their success rests on the bedrock of goodwill. For India, Bangladesh is the threshold of India’s calculus of trans-Asian highways that will link India to Vietnam by road and could become an economic engine for growth in Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Dhaka is also India’s access point to develop northeastern states. The road map for both the plans is on the anvil.
Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi paying homage at the National Martyr’s Memorial, Savar, in Dhaka, Bangladesh on March 26, 2021. (PIB)
Since 2014, bilateral relationship with Dhaka has achieved over half a dozen milestones. The Land Boundary Agreement is considered a major pact. Now, five out of six pre-1965 rail links have been restored, besides connecting the two countries through Maitree Bridge on the Feni river. Several pacts to revive inland water and trade transit has also been inked.
Bangladesh is now India’s biggest trading partner in South Asia with exports to Bangladesh in FY 2018-19 at $9.21 billion at imports at $1.04 billion. Bangladeshis tourists to India outnumbered all tourist arrivals from Western Europe in 2017.
However, to make recent gains between the two neighbours irreversible needs both the countries to work together on key strategic areas.
Narendra Modi being welcomed by the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Ms Sheikh Hasina and other dignitaries on his arrival at the National Day programme of Bangladesh, in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Sheikh Hasina hailed NarendraModi’s neighbourhood policy, saying that Bangladesh receiving 2 million Covid vaccine doses from India establishes this principle, reports Sumi Khan
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday expressed her gratitude to her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, saying the government of India always stands by Bangladesh through thick and thin.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Dhaka on Friday on a two-day visit to Bangladesh to attend the celebrations of the country’s 50th year of liberation from Pakistan and the 100th birth anniversary of its founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of Sheikh Hasina.
“I’d like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Modi Ji and the people of India,” Hasina said.
On the last day of the 10-day celebrations to mark the country’s 50th year of liberation from Pakistan, Modi and Hasina enjoyed the music of legendary classical vocalist Pandit Ajoy Chakravarty at the National Parade Square in Dhaka, along with the President of Bangladesh, Abdul Hamid, and others.
The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi being received by the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Ms. Sheikh Hasina, on his arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, in Dhaka, Bangladesh on March 26, 2021. (PIB)
Hasina said, “The Prime Minister of India made us glorified with his priceless presence in this pandemic period. The people of Bangladesh are grateful to Modi Ji and the people of India, who served the most for the people of Bangladesh in 1971.”
Hasina added that India must play a leading role in building a politically and economically prosperous South Asia. “We can make this region a hunger-free, poverty-free zone. We will achieve the goal set by the UN by 2031,” she said.
“I am grateful to India for nominating Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for the prestigious Gandhi Peace Prize in 2019. India is our friendly neighbour, and the two countries share a long standing relationship. The government of India had provided all kinds of assistance to the people of Bangladesh who took refuge there to save their lives from the atrocity, rape and arson of the Pakistani army in 1971. The Indian government and its people gave shelter, served food and assured medical help to around 1 million helpless people from Bangladesh,” she said.
Prime Minister, Narendra Modi paying homage at the National Martyr’s Memorial, Savar, in Dhaka, Bangladesh on March 26, 2021.
“In 1971, many army officers from India shed their blood for the independence of Bangladesh. I respectfully remember their contributions. India’s cooperation will never be forgotten. I’m personally grateful to the people and government of India. After all my family members were killed during the war, I was at my husband’s workplace in Germany with my sister and children. I had lost everyone. There was no arrangement to stay in that country. At that time, then Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi and Yugoslav leader Marshal Tito gave us shelter,” Hasina said.
The Bangladesh premier also appreciated the policies of Modi, and his slogan “Neighbours first and foremost”, saying that Bangladesh receiving 2 million Covid vaccine doses from India establishes this principle.
With the inauguration of the Maitri Bridge, India will now be able to use the Chittagong Port and Mongla Port, Hasina assured to Modi.
Prime Minister, Narendra Modi signing the visitor’s book at the National Martyr’s Memorial, Savar, in Dhaka, Bangladesh on March 26, 2021.
“May Bangladesh-India friendship be long-lasting for all kinds of cooperation,” she said.
Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid said, “During my stay in India for nine months during the liberation war in 1971, I myself witnessed how the government of India and its people gave shelter to 10 million people and refugees from Bangladesh. I hope all the unresolved issues will be settled soon. Bangladesh is always grateful to India.”
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi in a group photograph with the members of the Minority Community in Bangladesh, in Dhaka, Bangladesh on March 26, 2021.
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi meeting the eminent young achievers from different walks of life, in Dhaka, Bangladesh on March 26, 2021.
The foreign Minister of Bangladesh, Dr. A.K. Abdul Momen calling on the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, in Dhaka, Bangladesh on March 26, 2021.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi places hand made Mukut on Ma Kali. Mukut made of silver with gold plating. Hand made over three weeks by a traditional artisan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina
In a special op-ed published in a Bangladesh newspaper, Modi wrote about a joint march towards a golden future for people across the subcontinent, reports Asian Lite News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi began a two-day trip to Bangladesh on Friday, his first foreign visit after the coronavirus pandemic broke out.
In a special op-ed published in leading Bangladesh newspaper The Daily Star ahead of the visit, Modi wrote about a joint march towards a golden future where people could “study, work, do business effortlessly across the subcontinent”. He also talks about resolving complex bilateral issues “in a spirit of good neighbourliness”.
India and Bangladesh have made good progress in connectivity, says the PM, referring to plans like Bangladeshi barges travelling all the way to Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.
“Cargo from Bangladesh can move to Nepal and Bhutan through India. We are in the process of implementing a similar arrangement for Indian cargo to reach India’s North Eastern States through Bangladesh. We are making concerted efforts to operationalise our inland waterways, which will allow Bangladesh barges to reach all the way to Varanasi and Sahibganj in India.”
He talks about the completion of projects like the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline and the Akhaura-Agartala rail link.
The Prime Minister also pays rich tribute to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh’s first President and the father of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, writing on how the subcontinent would have evolved had “Bangabandhu” not been assassinated in 1975. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was killed along with most of his family members at his home. His daughters, Sheikh Rehana and Sheikh Hasina survived because they were abroad.
“It is a safe bet that with Bangabandhu at the helm, Bangladesh and our region would have evolved along a very different trajectory,” PM Modi writes.
Talking about Bangladesh rising from the ashes of a painful war at the time, he says: “If this had continued, perhaps India and Bangladesh could have achieved many decades ago some of the accomplishments that we were able to reach only recently… For instance, India and Bangladesh were able to finally overcome the complications of history through the 2015 Land Boundary Agreement. It was a historic moment in the history of modern nation-states. But had Bangabandhu been at the helm longer, this achievement may have come much earlier.”
The Prime Minister says the two countries could have built a closely integrated economic region, with deeply interlinked value-chains spanning food processing to light industry, electronics and technology products to advanced materials and set up mechanisms to share meteorological, maritime and geological data to protect against the impact of natural disasters.
“Most of all, imagine a scenario wherein our people could study, work, and do business effortlessly across this subcontinent-the world’s largest pool of young people joining their energies to create wealth, innovation and drive new technologies. This would have been the most natural vaccine against the toxic infusion of radicalism, violent extremism and hatred in our societies,” writes PM Modi.
“And yet today, it is possible in this dawn of a new and rising Bangladesh to believe that this future is once again within our grasp. With growing income and prosperity, Bangladesh is progressively realising the dream of Bangabandhu, under the able leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. It is time to once again chart a bold ambition for our partnership, as Bangabandhu would have done. With the spirit and enterprise of our people as our Bhagya Vidhata, the dispenser of our shared destiny, such a future is closer than ever.”
lighting decorations to mark the Independence Day and National Day in Dhaka, Bangladesh
President Hamid first placed a wreath at the altar of the National Memorial in Savar accompanied by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina…reports Asian Lite News
Bangladesh on Friday marked 50 years with President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paying rich tributes to all the victims of the 1971 Liberation War.
President Hamid first placed a wreath at the altar of the National Memorial in Savar followed by the Prime Minister, reports The Daily Star newspaper.
After placing the wreaths, Hamid and Hasina stood in silence as a mark ofrespect to the memories of the war victims.
A smartly turned-out contingent drawn from Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force presented a state salute on the occasion while the bugles played the last post.
President H.E Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have paid homage to the martyrs of Liberation War(Twitter)
Later, the President and the Prime minister signed the visitors’ book there on the occasion.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s younger daughter Sheikh Rehana, Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, senior Awami League leaders and high civil and military officials, among others, were present at the memorial.
Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the state ceremony is being celebrated in a limited scale maintaining the health guidelines and social distancing.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in Dhaka to participate in the Golden Jubilee celebrations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina
Modi will join Hasina at the National Parade Ground, the main venue of the celebrations, in Dhaka with President Hamid as the chief guest.
This year also marks the birth centenary of Bangabandhu, who led Bangladesh’s Liberation War against Pakistan in 1971.
Bangabandhu declared independence on March 26 that yearafter the Pakistani forces had brutally cracked down on the unarmed people of the then East Pakistan on the night of March 25, 1971.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been invited to be the ‘honoured guest’ on Bangladesh’s 50th Independence Day on 26 March, the day when the marauding Pakistani forces launched Operation Searchlight and allegedly perpetrated the worst form of brutalities and genocide in the erstwhile East Pakistan. Modi’s presence in Dhaka on the day will revive memories of India’s all-out support to the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971when on the face of horrendous cruelties meted out to the hapless people, more than 10 million refugees had to flee and take shelter in India where they were extended all cooperation and assistance by the people and government of India, writes Louis Auge.
Modi’s visit to Dhaka will be in connection with three epochal events – Mujib Borsho (birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman); 50 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Bangladesh and India; and 50 years of Bangladesh liberation war. The visit of the Indian Prime Minister will be his first visit to any foreign country since the outbreak of Covid pandemic. This shows the importance India attaches to Bangladesh.
Bangladesh-India relations are multifaceted in nature and rooted in a shared history, geographical proximity and commonality in their cultures. The emotional bonds stemming from contribution of India towards liberation of Bangladesh remain a dominant factor in the country’s political, social and cultural web. Economically and commercially, the two countries are becoming increasingly closer. Besides, the dependence of Bangladesh on the common river waters remains an ever present reminder of the umbilical links between the two countries.
Economics has played a significant role in improving bilateral relations between Bangladesh and India. Economic relations between these two countries have over the last couple of years become multifaceted, embracing trade transactions, joint ventures, transit facilities and transport development.
Bangladesh happens to be the recipient of India’s largest ever financial assistance. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his last visit to Dhaka (June 6-7, 2015) announced that India would provide Bangladesh a Line of Credit of US $ 2 billion. Bangladesh can use the credit in any way it wants. The credit carries lowest ever one per cent interest rate with a repayment period of 20 years and a 5-year grace period.
Earlier, in August 2010 India gave Bangladesh $ 1 billion Line of Credit to be used in specific sectors especially railways. The first portion of this Line of Credit was used in infrastructure and transport. $ 200 million of $ 1 billion Line of Credit was later converted in to a grant. Virtually, barring a negligible portion, the entire amount has already been paid to Bangladesh. India has made it clear that no interest would be charged for $ 200 million that has been converted in to grant. The rest $ 800 million carrying one per cent interest is being used to implement 14 projects, seven of which have already been completed. These include 11 projects valued at about $630m in the railways sector for the supply of locomotives, tank wagons, flat wagons and brake wagons to Bangladesh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina
The private sector initiative comes in parallel to the Indian government’s effort to bolster relations with Bangladesh. India’s External Affairs Ministry has made it clear that India continues to see Bangladesh as a “very, very important partner,” and it would like to take forward plans for investment, trade and joint ventures between the two countries. 38 Indian investments had been registered with the Board of Investments (BoI) in Bangladesh for about $183m in the preceding years.
Major Indian companies such as Bharti Airtel, Tata Motors, Sun Pharma, Asian Paints, Marico, Godrej, Venky’s Hatcheries, Parle Products, Forbes and Marshall have invested in Bangladesh in the recent past. At the Bangladesh Investment and Policy Summit held in Dhaka in 2016, two big industrial groups of India, Reliance and Adani, committed to make huge investment in Bangladesh to the tune of US dollar 1,100 crore.
In addition, Indian companies plan to invest more than $100m in various projects in Bangladesh. A number of Indian and Bangladeshi companies signed proposals to set up projects in sectors such as limousine services, manufacturing three-wheelers and software development during road shows held in Chennai and Mumbai recently.
There are a number of Indian investments in ready-made garment (RMG) sector like Ambattur Clothing, a Chennai-based company that started operations in Bangladesh in 2007 and later set up its own manufacturing units through acquisitions. Helix Garment started operations in Bangladesh more than a decade ago. Consumer brands like Marico and Godrej have consolidated their position in Bangladesh. Indian tire manufacturing giant CEAT has tied up with Bangladesh’s A.K Khan Group to form CEAT Bangladesh.
The growing resilience of Bangladesh economy continues to attract Indian investment. The average economic growth rate in the country has been over 7.0 percent for the last couple of years. The country has graduated to lower-middle income league from lower-income status. The middle class is rising steadily and creating demand for consumer goods and services. The country has also graduated as developing nation.
This change in Bangladesh economy has not gone unnoticed by Indian businessmen and entrepreneurs and some of them have come with direct and joint investments in selected service and manufacturing sectors. Bharti Airtel, for example, acquired 70% stake in Warid Telecom Bangladesh. It has further injected some $ 300 million in subsequent years and renamed it Airtel Bangladesh.
‘Regional connectivity is not only strengthening friendship between Bangladesh and India but also proving to be a strong link of business’, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina remarked while inaugurating ‘Maitri Setu’ (Friendship Bridge) virtually with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 9. The Indian Prime Minister expressed the view that connectivity between Bangladesh and India will prove to be very important for the north-east region of India and Bangladesh trade as well.
Sheikh Hasina lauded India for ‘building a prosperous region together’ and wished for a ‘successful operation and utilization of the Maitri Setu’. The opening of the bridge is a “testimony to Bangladesh government’s continued commitment to support our neighbor India in strengthening connectivity in the region”, she said.
During the Indian Prime Minister Modi’s last visit to Dhaka in 2015, two MoUs were signed to produce 4,600 Mega Watt (MW) electricity. Reliance Power signed MoU with Bangladesh Power Development Board to produce 3000 MW by investing $ 3billion. Adani Power would set up two coal-fired plants with a total capacity of 1,600 MW by investing $ 1.5 billion.
Bangladesh and India have signed MoU to construct a pipe line for supply of high speed diesel from Numaligarh in Assam to Parbatipur in Bangladesh under a joint venture project between Numaligarh Refinery Limited and Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation. As a goodwill gesture an initial consignment of 2,200 tons of diesel has been transported from Siliguri in West Bengal to Parbatipur by 50 wagons of Indian Railways. The decision to construct pipe line was taken during Modi’s last visit.
India’s state-owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) is set to sign an agreement to construct the 1,320 megawatt (MG) thermal power station in Khulna. BHEL outbid Larsen and Toubro (L&T) and two Chinese companies to bag the contract for building $ 1.6 billion power plant having a final capacity of 2,640 MW. The Indian concern has emerged as the lowest bidder for this ‘Maitri’ (friendship) project.
The Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Ltd (BIFPCL), a joint venture between Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and India’s power generation major National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), had invited bids for turnkey construction of 2 x 660 coal-fired super thermal power plant coming up near Mongla river port at Rampal, district Bagerhat, Khulna. This project, known as “Maitri Super Thermal Power Project”, is set to be the largest in Bangladesh. The power plant is a partnership between BPDB and NTPC which will share fifty-fifty ownership of the plant as well as electricity it produces. The project is, however, presently facing opposition from some environmentalist groups.
On security aspects, Bangladesh-India relations have never been better. Bangladesh has already addressed major issues that remained matters of concern from India’s security point of view for a long period. Bangladesh has handed over to India a large number of North East Indian insurgents who had been camping and executing anti-India operations from Bangladeshi soil. Bangladesh government did this even though there was no extradition treaty between the two sides. Anup Chetia, a major United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) insurgent and a constant headache for Indian security establishment, has also been handed over to India by the country.
Bangladeshi security forces have seized huge stockpiles of explosive materials, broken up numerous camps and apprehended a number of Indian insurgents. The arrests and seizures bear witness to wide spread reach and presence of Indian insurgents in Bangladesh. During BNP-Jamaat rule, Bangladesh state machinery continued to indulge in activities endangering India’s security by actively supporting and assisting the ULFA that operated in Bangladesh with ISI backing and patronization.
Bangladesh was being viewed as a hot destination by the ISI in its attempt to wage a full-fledged battle against India. Pakistan wants North East India to remain in perpetual instability so that it becomes easy for Pakistan to intervene and sever north eastern part from the rest of India, thus fulfilling Pakistan’s long-cherished desire to avenge its defeat and subsequent loss of its eastern part in 1971.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has delivered on all of India’s concerns ranging from security to connectivity. India on its part has done its best to reciprocate by giving priority to supply Covid 19 vaccine to Bangladesh.
Many of the long outstanding problems that had existed since the partition of India in 1947 have been resolved. The most important of these being strengthening connectivity between the two countries through resuming the long suspended rail, road and waterway links. The exchange of enclaves and the long standing border disputes were also solved and the Indian Parliament showed a rare gesture of good-will when both houses of the Indian Parliament unanimously voted to ratify the Mujib-Indira accord of 1974 agreeing to exchange adversely located enclaves and demark the boundaries.
Although most of the bilateral disputes between the two countries have now been resolved, Teesta river water sharing continues to remain a nagging problem. The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has time and again indicated that the problem will be resolved during his tenure. He pointed out that India works on a federal system and does not take any decision bypassing the concerned state government. West Bengal government which is a stakeholder has to be convinced before taking decision on the Teesta water sharing.
Both the countries have improved not only their diplomatic ties but also deepened their bonds on all fronts including security and border management, trade, commerce and investment, connectivity, energy and power, space, developmental projects, culture and people-to-people exchanges. For the sake of deepening their ties, the two countries have signed about 100 agreements in the last couple of years. Most of these agreements are not merely renewal of previous agreements but also initiation of cooperation in high technology areas such as space, civil and nuclear energy, IT and electronics, cyber-security and blue economy to name a few.
There will be joint monitoring by the foreign offices of the two countries to oversee implementation of all the accords and agreements. Earlier there had been many agreements but not all of them reached the implementation stage. Now both the countries have decided to engage in close monitoring of the implementation process to ensure materialization of the agreements.
The official said that the victims were being treated at the ICU ward of the hospital….reports Asian Lite News
A major fire on Wednesday morning in a hospital here has left three Covid-19 patients dead, said a senior health official.
The official said that the victims were being treated at the ICU ward of the hospital.
Nazmul Haque, Director of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, told Xinhua that 14 patients were in the ICU ward when a “high pressure oxygen device” exploded at around 8:00 am (local time).
“Three of the ICU patients died while they were shifted to another ICU unit of the hospital following the fire,” he said.
Haque added that the victims were in critical condition and receiving life-supporting treatment through ventilators.
In May last year, five patients died in a devastating fire incident at the makeshift Covid-19 unit of United Hospital in Dhaka.
Bangladesh government has chalked out elaborate programmes to be held at National Parade Square in the capital, reports Sumi Khan
Bangladesh is all set to welcome world leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to take part in the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the country’s independence and also the birth centenary of Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The celebrations, which will take place from March 17-27, will also be attended by Presidents Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and Bidya Devi Bhandari of Maldives and Nepal, respectively, as well as Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.
While, Modi, Solih and Rajapaksa will meet Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bhandari and her counterpart Md Abdul Hamid will hold bilateral talks.
Bangladesh government has chalked out elaborate programmes to be held at National Parade Square in the capital.
All the four leaders will deliver separate speeches from the National Parade Ground, which will be live streamed.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, at Hyderabad House, in New Delhi.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Kamal Khan on Saturday morning said that they will avoid large-scale public gatherings in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He added that there will be strict security measures in place during the programmes.
The invited guests at the in-person events have to undergo Covid-19 testing and carry a negative report to attend. The certificate of the test will remain valid for 48 hours.
About 500 guests from home and abroad will be invited to the National Parade Ground event.
The invitees will attend the programme in-person for four days, while the events of the other six days will be broadcast live.
Special arrangements will be made for the heads of state and governments attending the celebrations.
Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari
As per the schedule, Solih will be in Bangladesh from March 17-18, Rajapaksa from March 19-20, Bhandari from March 22-23 and Modi from March 26-27.
High officials at the Prime Ministers’ Office and the Foreign Ministry said Bangladesh has been in close contact with the governments of the four nations on signing instruments on various issues.
Meanwhile, the leaders of the US, Canada, China, France and several other high-profile dignitaries are expected to send video messages to mark the occasion.
Prime Minister of Bhutan also expressed his desire to join the celebrations, Foreign Ministry officials said. China wishes to send a top ranking leader, who will carry the message of President Xi Jinping on the occasion.
Prime Minister of Canada and President of France will also send messages.
Meanwhile, US Ambassador in Dhaka Earl Miller during a meeting with Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said a high-level dignitary from the Washington government is likely to visit Bangladesh in the near future to join the year-long celebrations.
Bangabandhu, Shyam Benegal’s biopic on Bangladesh founder Sheikh Mujibur Rehman
“Bangabandhu was meant to celebrate the birth centenary of Mujibur Rahman. Unfortunately, the film could not be ready in time to celebrate these landmarks as we were stopped in our tracks by the pandemic.”said Shyam Benegal….reports Asian Lite News
The 50th year of Independence is special for Bangladesh as lakhs of Bengalis died fighting for the cause of freedom. It is equally important for India as it played a pivotal role in helping them to overthrow the tyrannical rule of West Pakistan.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh’s Father of the Nation, was the rallying point of the liberation movement. Thus, it is befitting to immortalise this personality on celluloid. Doing this is veteran director Shyam Benegal who is shooting the biopic ‘Bangabandhu’.
Announced in January 2020, the shooting of the biopic was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Now that norms have been relaxed, Benegal is going full steam. The director, 86, is full of vigour, as he goes about setting up the scene.
Talking about the project, Benegal says: “Bangabandhu was meant to celebrate the birth centenary of Mujibur Rahman (who was born on March 17, 1920) as well as the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh (Rahman declared Independence from Pakistan on March 26, 1971). Unfortunately, the film could not be ready in time to celebrate these landmarks as we were stopped in our tracks by the pandemic.”
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award winner, Benegal is to bring to the fore the humane aspects of Rahman’s personality. For instance, he was recently shooting a scene wherein Rahman is seen at his Dhaka residence refusing to eat. The reason was the distress his countrymen were going through facing famine in the 1970s.
Talking about Rahman, Benegal compares him to the protagonist of a Shakespearean tragedy. “He was a man who loved his country too much. He also trusted his countrymen too much. In spite of multiple warnings, he never believed in increasing his personal security.”
Rahman was unfortunately assassinated on August 15, 1975, in a military coup.
The shooting schedule of the biopic is expected to continue till mid-April even though the release date of the movie is yet to be announced. With the production shifting gears with Prime Minister’s scheduled visit on March 26 to Bangladesh, it is hoped that the film will be canned soon.
Shyam Benegal
According to Benegal, “the remaining crowd and war sequences for the movie will be filmed in Bangladesh once the monsoon is over”.
Benegal says the production carefully tries to balance by being neither a hagiography nor too critical. While the film will not follow Rahman’s life chronologically, it is expected to touch upon certain turning points and aspects of his life that made Rahman who he was.
The movie will go beyond the “public image of a leader” and offer glimpses of his private life, he added.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
The two actors who are essaying the lead roles in the film are Bangladeshi actors Arifin Shuvoo as Rehman and Nusrat Imrose Tisha as Fazilatunnesa, Rahman’s wife. The movie is being jointly produced by the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) and National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC). The roles of Sheikh Hasina and Sohrawardy will be played by Nusraat Faria and Tauquir Ahmed.
Talking about his role as Rahman’s father, Khairul Alam Sabuj said: “I am very excited about my role. Based on the famous image of Bangabandhu and his father, I collected a similar piece of clothing for my role.” Dilara Zaman as Rahman’s mother is preparing for make the role authentic.
Since Benegal was clear about making the film in Bengali, he decided to choose Bangladeshi actors for the prominent roles. The original script has been written by Shama Zaidi and Atul Tiwari which is in English. “We have writers who adapted it in Bengali and brought in the local idiom,” observes Benegal.
Apart from the biopic, an airtime exchange programme between Prasar Bharati and Bangladesh Radio Betar has also been launched. The content from Maitree service has started airing in Dhaka while reciprocally content from Bangladesh Radio Betar has started airing on All India Radio in Kolkata.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Commenting on the new heights achieved in India-Bangladesh relations, the Bangladesh Information Minister Muhammad H Mahmud said “without the support of India, the liberation of Bangladesh would never have been possible; our relationship is historic”.
Terming this friendship as organic, Prakash Javadekar, the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister, said both the countries shared a great legacy.
“We look forward to engage further with Bangladesh TV (BTV) and Betar in co-production of content. Also India will extend all possible cooperation to Bangladesh in setting up the BongoBandhu film city.”
High-ranking officials of the Bangladesh Navy welcomed the captains of the two Indian warships on a three-day visit…reports Asian Lite News
Two Indian Navy warships — INS Kulish and INS Sumedha, arrived on Monday at Bangladesh’s Mongla Port to celebrate the birth centenary of ‘Father of the Nation’ Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and the country’s 50th year of Independence.
A band of Bangladesh Navy playing musical instruments greeted the two Indian Navy warships.
Captain M. Mosharraf Hossain, commander of Bangladesh Navy’s Mongla Naval Base, welcomed the captains of the two Indian warships — on a three-day visit, with flowers.
High-ranking officials of the Bangladesh Navy, including a representative of the Indian High Commission in Bangladesh, were also present on the occasion.
In a historic first, two 🇮🇳 warships INS Kulish and INS Sumedha, with Cmde MV Raju, NM, Naval Officer-in-Charge Andhra Pradesh onboard, arrived at Mongla today & were accorded a ceremonial welcome by #Bangladesh Navy pic.twitter.com/IhzNtEkRUD
During the visit, top Indian Navy officer Commodore Mahadeva Gobardhan Raju, and the captains of the two ships, will pay homage at the tomb of Bangabandhu at his birthplace in Tungipara, and lay a wreath at the tomb of Bangladeshi Navy official Ruhul Amin, who was posthumously awarded ‘Bir Sreshtho’ — Bangladesh’s highest bravery award for his service during the 1971 Liberation War.
They are also expected to pay a courtesy call to Bangladesh Navy’s commander of Khulna Naval Area and Commander Flotilla West, as well as exchange views with the Naval commandos and freedom fighters who participated in the Liberation War of 1971.
Indian Navywarship INS Kulish and INS Sumedha in a 3-day visit to celebrate the birth centenary of Bangabandhu & goldenjubilee of the independence
The Naval officers of the two neighbouring countries hope that this goodwill visit of the two Indian warships will play an important role in further strengthening the friendly relations between Bangladesh and India.
The two Indian ships are scheduled to leave Bangladesh on March 10 at the end of the tour.
Commander Sanjeev Agnihotri is leading INS Kulish with 18 officers and 160 sailors while Commander Gaurav Durgapal is leading INS Sumedha ship with 20 officers and 160 sailors.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the 1.888 km bridge, which is 72 km by road from the Chittagong sea port. The bridge has been built by India at a cost of around Rs 129 crore….reports Asian Lite News
The bridge over river Feni in Tripura will connect the landlocked region to the Chittagong international sea port in Bangladesh, reports Sujit Chakraborty
A bridge over Feni river in Tripura is set to turn the dream of the northeastern region into reality, as it would connect the landlocked region with the rest of the world through the Chittagong international sea port in Bangladesh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the 1.888 km bridge, which is 72 km by road from the Chittagong sea port. The bridge has been built by India at a cost of around Rs 129 crore.
Maitri Setu is yet another landmark project that will improve the friendship between India and Bangladesh. Sectors like trade, tourism and port-led development will benefit due to Maitri Setu. pic.twitter.com/AfCcVpCuVF
The double-lane Feni bridge, which would connect the border town of Sabroom in Tripura with Ramgarh in Bangladesh, would ease transportation of goods and heavy machineries to and from the northeastern states from various parts of the country and abroad using the Chittagong sea port, Kolkata port and other ports in India and Bangladesh.
The District Magistrate and Collector of southern Tripura, Debapriya Bardhan, said that the Prime Minister would dedicate the important bridge to the people virtually from Delhi on Tuesday.
The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) has constructed the vital bridge and the 1,476m stretch of approach roads, of which 1,193m falls in the Indian territory and the remaining 283m falls in the Bangladesh side.
The Executive Director of NHIDCL, A.K. Kushwaha, said that the bridge named ‘Maitre Setu’ (friendship bridge) is a cable stayed reinforced cement concrete (RCC) bridge, including viaduct and pillar support to bear heavy load and weighty machineries.
Experts, economists and traders said that the bridge would open a new horizon of connectivity, economy, trade and commerce, besides strengthening people-to-people bonding between the northeastern states and Bangladesh and other neighboring countries.
CUTS International, a Jaipur-based think-tank an NGO, has conducted several studies on border trade and ‘Border Haats’ (markets) in a bid to boost the economy and fortify the ties among the people of India and Bangladesh and also to check illegal trades and activities.
