 Shahidul Islam |
On the 40th Anniversary of the Independence and National Day of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, I convey my warm greetings to the government and the people of the Republic of Korea.
On this auspicious day, I also congratulate my fellow Bangladesh citizens living in this country.
I pay my humble homage to the valiant freedom fighters who made supreme sacrifices for the cause of the independence of Bangladesh.
Our father of the nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, led the war to liberation to establish an independent country that would respect the dignity of every citizen irrespective of caste, color and creed, and maintain friendship with all countries in the world.
During the last 40 years, Bangladesh has made significant strides in strengthening democratic governance and improving the social and economic conditions of its citizens.
At the same time, Bangladesh has established itself as a responsible member of the international community, making significant contribution to the promotion of international peace and stability.
In recent years, Bangladesh has been growing at the rate of 6 percent.
The Government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is determined to raise the growth rate to 8 percent by 2014 so that Bangladesh can become a middle-income country by the year 2021, when the country will celebrate its 5oth anniversary of independence.
Bangladesh attaches great importance to its relations with the Republic of Korea.
Our two countries are cooperating through trade, investment, development cooperation, technology transfer, education and culture.
The rapidly expanding people-to-people contact constitutes another important element in our bilateral relationship.
On the global level, our two countries are cooperating closely to uphold international peace and stability, fight adverse effects of climate change, ensure food security and promote free trade.
The visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in May 2010 has elevated our bilateral relationship to the level of comprehensive partnership.
It is our conviction that further consolidation and enhancement of Bangladesh-Korea cooperation will serve the fundamental interests of both countries, meet the common aspirations of the two peoples and are conducive to peace and development in the Asian region and the world at large.
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