India, Bangladesh Celebrate Bangladesh's Independence Day at Baron Palace

Ahmed Emam

The 50th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Bangladesh, known as the" Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh's Independence" and the establishment of Indian-Bangladesh diplomatic relations was observed with a series of ceremonial events in 18 selected countries. It included a massive celebration organized by the Embassies of India and Bangladesh in Cairo as its spotlight to mark this epochal occasion that took place on 6 December 2021 at Baron Empian Palace in Cairo.

Ghada Shalabi, Deputy Tourism Minister, who was the guest of honor, gave the special day address to the Indian and Bangladesh officials and expatriates before watching the Indian and Bangladesh cultural performances.

In her address, Shalabi said: "Egypt has a long-standing relationship with the people of India and Bangladesh that is based on history, culture, and economic, tourism and social linkages."

Ambassador of Bangladesh, Mr. Monirul Islam, also took this occasion to thank India for the warm hospitality and support given during the struggle in 1971.

He commented that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bangladesh and India are now in a golden era of cooperation.

Ambassador also recalled the personal bond between President Sadat and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and said that Egypt was among the first Arab countries to recognize Bangladesh.

Islam highlighted Bangladesh’s strong commitment to an international rule-based order for achieving lasting peace and stability and stressed that ‘Friendship to all and malice to none’ has been the guiding principle of Bangladesh’s foreign policy.

Citing the socio-economic progress made by Bangladesh since its formation, the ambassador said that Bangladesh intends to eliminate extreme poverty and achieve all SDGs by 2031 to become a modern, prosperous and developed economy by 2041.

The Bangladesh official also underlined the progress made by Bangladesh in the domain of woman empowerment and achieving gender parity.

"Today, we are celebrating in Bangladesh the fiftieth anniversary of our emergence as a free nation," Ambassador of Bangladesh Mr. Monirul Islam told Sada Elbald English (SEE).

After a while, Ambassador of India to Egypt, Mr. Ajit Gupte, recalled the horrors of 1971 and stated that over 3 million Bengalis were brutally massacred and as much as 10 million were exiled from their very own home to India.

Gupte also spoke about how India supported their Bengali brethren, hosting them and supporting their Mukti Bahini fighters.

Gupte mentioned that Prime Minister Indira Gandhi herself toured in many countries, garnering international support for Bangladesh’s liberation.

The ambassador recalled his tenure in Dhaka as a diplomat and commented that Bangladesh has transformed itself from a war-torn country to a flourishing welfare state.

He also highlighted the close bilateral relationship between India and Bangladesh in the domains of trade and economy, connectivity, security, etc. citing the India-Bangladesh land boundary agreement and maritime agreement as living examples for how countries could resolve issues in a mature and amicable manner.

Speaking to SEE, the Indian Ambassador said: "We have contributed to supporting the emergence of a free and independent Bangladesh."

On this day In 1971, India recognized Bangladesh as an independent and sovereign State. In addition to this, the 6th of Dec. coincides with the celebrations of the Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh that marks the founding of the Republic of Bangladesh, according to Mr. Gupte.

An Indian dance-drama group, Anveshana, led by Ms. Sangeeta Sharma performed during the celebration.

The performance was a combination of Eastern and Western dance forms, combining the essence of yoga, classical dances, and martial art forms.

Cultural performances of the Bangladeshi diaspora added variety to the celebration. Exhibition of traditional art and crafts and tourism material from India and Bangladesh was also held during the event.

It's worth mentioning that a number of prominent figures and high-ranking delegations from Egyptian think-tanks, academic circles, media houses, businessmen, and the diplomatic community, etc. attended the celebration at the fascinated Egypt's Palace.

Members from the Indian and Bangladeshi diaspora were also present at the event.