Bangladeshi Ambassador to Korea Shahidul Islam

The following is a message by Bangladeshi Ambassador to Korea Shahidul Islam on the occasion his country’s Independence and National Day. — ED.

On the occasion of the 41st Anniversary of the Independence and National Day of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, I convey my warm greetings to the government and the friendly people of the Republic of Korea. I also convey my heartiest congratulations to my fellow Bangladesh citizens living in this country.

As we celebrate this auspicious day, we remember with profound respect the founding Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who proclaimed the independence of Bangladesh. We pay our humble tribute to the 3 million martyrs of the War of Liberation. We pay our deepest homage to the valiant freedom fighters who gave their life so that we as a nation could live in freedom, with dignity and honor

The War of Liberation was fought and the huge sacrifice made in order to establish an independent, happy and prosperous Bangladesh. During the last 41 years, we have made significant strides in attaining these objectives. Bangladesh today is a democratic polity that upholds the freedom and dignity of all its citizens.

Our economy is growing steadily at the rate of over of 6 percent in recent years, making it possible to provide better education to our children, more jobs to our youths, improved healthcare to our mothers, and the hope for a decent life and livelihood to all our citizens. During the same time, Bangladesh has established itself as a responsible member of the international community, remaining at the forefront of global efforts in upholding international peace and stability, most notably through its active participation in the UN peacekeeping missions worldwide.

As we celebrate our independence and national day in Korea, it is also a moment when we celebrate the excellent relation that exists between Bangladesh and the Republic of Korea. Bilaterally, our two countries maintain strong cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, development cooperation and technology transfer, employment and human resource development, education and cultural exchange.

On the international plane, our two countries are working closely to uphold international peace and stability, promote free trade, and fight adverse effects of climate change.

The visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in May 2010 was an important milestone in Bangladesh-Korea relations, which consolidated our Comprehensive Partnership and added momentum to a stronger economic cooperation between the two countries.

More and more Korean companies are now taking part in our development efforts, particularly in large infrastructure development projects such as construction of roads and highways, setting up of power plants, and exploration of oil and gas.

Many Korean companies have set up production units in Bangladesh which in turn is creating employment for our people. We greatly appreciate Korean government’s development support through a large amount of EDCF loan assistance and grant assistance from KOICA.

About 7,000 workers from Bangladesh have found their employment in Korea under the Employment Permit System (EPS). More than 500 Bangladeshi students are pursuing their higher studies in Korea at the moment. The people-to-people contact is increasing exponentially, providing a solid basis for a closer Bangladesh-Korea relation.

I express my deep appreciation and gratitude to the government and the people of Korea for their strong support in advancing Bangladesh-Korea relations. Long live Bangladesh-Korea friendship.