Rajapaksa hopes for stronger relations with Bangladesh

Sri Lanka prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has hoped to make bilateral relations with Bangladesh stronger. He expressed this in a tweet before arriving in Dhaka to attend ‘Mujib Chirantan’ (Mujib eternal), a programme to celebrate the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the golden jubilee of the Liberation War of Bangladesh, on Friday morning.

The plane with Mahinda Rajapaksa landed at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 10:00am.

“As I head to #Bangladesh to participate in the celebrations of the #GoldenJubilee year of their #Independence, I look forward to engaging with PM Sheikh Hasina and the Government of Bangladesh to strengthen the bilateral relationship to mutually benefit both our nations,” the Sri Lanka prime minister tweeted.

He posted another tweet after arriving in Dhaka. “Arrived to a warm welcome & guard of honor at the Hazrat Shahjalal Int. Airport in Dhaka, #Bangladesh and was received by PM Sheikh Hasina. I’m honored to be a part of the #GoldenJubilee Independence celebrations & look forward to the next two days of festivities & discussions.”

As part of his two-day visit to Dhaka, Rajapaksa will give speech at a programme at National Parade Square this afternoon. He will hold a formal meeting with prime minister Sheikh Hasina at her office (PMO). Mahinda Rajapaksa will also hold a meeting with president Abdul Hamid at the latter’s official residence, Bangabhaban.

The Bangladesh government has organised a 10-day programme, starting from 17 March, to celebrate the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the golden jubilee of the Liberation War of the country. The programmes will continue until 26 March. ‘Mujib Chirantan’ is the theme of this celebration. However, there is a different theme for every day as well.

Maldivian president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih was the first world leader to attend the celebrations of the country’s golden jubilee of independence and the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

He came to Dhaka on Wednesday morning and left the country around 1:00am on Friday after wrapping up his two-day official visit.

Mahinda Rajapaksa is the second global leader to visit Dhaka marking programme to celebrate the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the golden jubilee of the Liberation War of Bangladesh.

Nepal president Bidhya Devi Bhandari will be here on 22 March. Bhutanese prime minister Lotay Tshering will arrive in Dhaka on 24 March while Indian prime minister Narendra Modi will arrive on 26 March.

News agency BSS adds: Mahinda Rajapaksa on Friday paid rich tributes to the memory of martyrs’ freedom fighters at National Memorial in Savar on the outskirts of the capital.

The Sri Lankan prime minister paid homage by placing a wreath at the Memorial. Earlier, Rajapaksa reached the National Memorial at about 11:00am.

On his arrival there, liberation war affairs minister AKM Mozammel Haque, state minister for disaster management and relief Md Enamur Rahman and state minister for housing and public works Sharif Ahmed, among others, welcomed him.

A smartly turned-out contingent drawn from Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force gave him a guard of honour while the bugles played the last post. Rajapaksa also signed the visitor’s book at the Memorial.

“This indeed is a moving experience to pay my respects at the National Martyrs Memorial to the memory of those who sacrificed their valued lives during the Bangladesh War of Independence. All of those who cherished independence sacrificed their today for a tomorrow to all Bengali people, which is a powerful testament to Bangabandhu’s dream for a free, independent and proud Bangladesh,” he wrote.

Rajapaksa also planted a sapling of night-flowering jasmine or Parijat on the memorial premises.

Prior to this, the Sri Lankan prime minister arrived here this morning on a two-day official visit to join the celebrations of the golden jubilee of country’s independence and the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received her Sri Lankan counterpart at the airport.

A guard of honor was given to the Sri Lankan prime minister by a smartly turned out contingent drawn from Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force there.