Overview
- Bangladesh’s high commissioner Riaz Hamidullah, speaking at Thursday’s Independence Day reception in New Delhi, said ties with India are a top priority built on dignity, equality, mutual trust, respect, and shared benefit.
- India showed receptiveness as Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri attended the event, with messages welcoming the new government that won a peaceful vote involving 76 million participants.
- Hamidullah urged both sides to handle sensitive issues with candour, naming trade imbalances, security cooperation, and sharing of natural resources as areas that need direct, problem‑solving talks.
- He highlighted the scale of economic links, citing about $12 billion in formal goods trade and an estimated $28–30 billion when wider transactions are counted, which he framed as a base for deeper cooperation.
- He anchored the message in shared history and culture by honoring the 1,668 Indian soldiers who died in Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War and by paying tribute to Assamese singer Zubeen Garg, underscoring people-to-people ties.