بِسْمِ ٱللّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Chief Justice Uz Ahmed Muthasim Adnan, His Excellency Rear Admiral S.M. Abul Kalam Azad, High Commissioner of Bangladesh to the Maldives, former Vice President, Members of Parliament, Excellencies, Ambassadors from our friendly nations, Ladies and Gentlemen,

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ

And I wish you a very good evening.

On behalf of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and the people of the Maldives, I take this opportunity to extend our heartfelt greetings and sincere good wishes to the Government and people of Bangladesh on the joyous occasion of the Independence and National Day of Bangladesh. Let me also express my deepest gratitude to the High Commissioner for inviting me to this momentous event today.

As we celebrate the Independence and National Day of Bangladesh, we are reminded of the immeasurable sacrifices made by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for the freedom and independence of his country. Who is known as the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu or ‘friend of Bengal’ was truly a charismatic leader, dearly loved and respected by his people. Without a doubt, it was Bangabandhu’s visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to justice that led to the birth of Bangladesh in 1971.

History tells us that the Bengali’s fight for a sovereign and independent state was not easy. Even after declaring independence, the people of Bangladesh fought a nine-month long liberation war, risking their lives for the sake of their nation. The unarmed Bengali’s took strength from the words of Bangabandhu in their courageous fight to liberate the country. In his historic speech delivered on 7 March of 1971, Bangabandhu addressed the numerous forms of injustice faced by his people and called “every house to turn into a fortress,” in the fight for independence. This speech became the source of encouragement and inspiration for the freedom fighters. It is not surprising therefore, that in 2017, UNESCO included this remarkable speech in the ‘Memory of the World Register,’ a list of world's important documentary heritage. What a grand honour, not just for Bangabandhu, but for the people of Bangladesh too!

Excellency, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today, I am very happy to see that the legacy left behind by Bangabandhu continued to be a guiding light for Bangladesh’s national development. In the past 53 years, Bangladesh has seen tremendous progress in terms of economic growth, social progress, educational development, technological advancements, and women’s empowerment. It is also noteworthy that Bangladesh is making an impressive economic recovery from the headwinds wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic. Three years from now, Bangladesh is set to achieve another key milestone in its sustainable development trajectory–Graduation from the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) status. As a neighbour and a close friend, the Maldives keenly looks forward to Bangladesh’s journey to a developing country and wishes every success to the Government and people of Bangladesh.

Excellency, Ladies and Gentlemen,

This august event is a testament to the strong bilateral ties between the Maldives and Bangladesh. Even before we established diplomatic relations in 1978, and long before any of our countries gained independence, the people of Maldives and Bangladesh enjoyed a close relationship based on common traditions and culture, goodwill, and shared interests in the field of maritime and trade.

Our bond has only gotten stronger over time. The increase in the number of high-level visits between the Maldives and Bangladesh in recent years stand testament to the deepening ties between our two countries. During these visits, official talks were held on strengthening bilateral cooperation, and MoUs were exchanged in various areas of shared interest.

Excellency, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Maldives is immensely thankful to the Government of Bangladesh for the numerous contributions made towards our national development. The assistance we receive in areas of health, youth and sports, human resource development and trade, among others, has greatly improved the efficiency of services provided by these sectors. I would also like to appreciate the significant contributions made by Bangladeshi expatriate workers in our socio-economic sector. The Government remains steadfast in protecting the rights of all foreign workers in the Maldives.

Before I conclude, let me thank the High Commissioner for the excellent arrangements put in place for this celebration. I assure you that the Maldives will continue to be a time-tested friend of Bangladesh. And I am certain that we can also count on Bangladesh to further cement our friendship. May our bilateral relations continue to prosper and reach new heights!

Thank you very much.