Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the birth centenary celebration of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 2020, says Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen.
Former Indian president Pranab Mukherjee, and Interim president of indian National Congress Sonia Gandhi will also join the yearlong celebration, he said on Friday (Dec 6).
Momen was speaking at a programme orginised by Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee in Dhaka commemorating the 48th anniversary of Bangladesh-India diplomatic relations.
HONOURING MARTYRED INDIAN SOLDIERS
The minister said Bangladesh would honour over 380 Indian soldiers who sacrificed themselves during the 1971 Liberation War.
“The Bangladesh government has taken all-out preparation to honour 380 Indian soldiers who sacrificed their lives during the country’s 1971 Liberation War. They will be honoured soon,” he was quoted as saying by BSS.
Momen said Bangladesh would gradually honour all the Indian soldiers who were martyred in the Liberation War.
Momen said India had given shelter to over one crore of people during the Bangladesh Liberation War and it also trained up freedom fighters so that they could fight against the Pakistani occupational forces.
He said it cannot be forgotten that as many as 17,000 Indian soldiers had embraced martyrdom in the 1971 Liberation War.
Momen expressed his optimism that the existing friendly relations between Bangladesh and India will further strengthen in the coming days.
Presided over by Nirmul Committee Adviser Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik, Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Riva Ganguly Das, Nirmul Committee President Shahriar Kabir, ‘Friend of Liberation War’ Julian Francis and human rights activist Aroma Dutta addressed the discussion, among others.
The Indian high commissioner said a friendly relationship was built between Bangladesh and India through the Liberation War.
She said the relations will remain intact and strengthen further in coming days for the economic development of the two neighbouring countries.
On Jul 6, 2018, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced that Bangladesh would celebrate the 100th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation as Mujib Barsha or Mujib Year through yearlong programmes in 2020.
The yearlong programmes would end on Mar 26, 2021, which falls on the golden jubilee of Bangladesh's independence.
