Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Kumar Verma on Thursday said the current bilateral relations between Bangladesh and India has been complementing each other's nation development, reports BSS.
He also asserts that New Delhi counts Dhaka first in its neighbourhood operation policy.
"Our Bilateral relationship today is truly multifaceted and complementing each other's nation development," the envoy said.
The Indian envoy was speaking at the unveiling Ceremony of Bharat Bichitra Special Edition on the occasion of its Golden Jubilee publication at Indian High Commission in the capital.
Verma said India and Bangladesh have been enjoying such an excellent relationship that finds "few parallels across the world".
"India caters top most priority to the relations with Bangladesh…for us, as we often say, it is neighborhood first, but it is the neighborhood two...it is Bangladesh first," he said.
The high commissioner noted that when India became president of G-20, New Delhi invited Bangladesh as a special guest country to join deliberations of that important multinational platform.
"We believe that the success of Bangladesh in contributing to global development, to address some of the global challenges, overcome the adversities and achieve progress ... those stories to be heard at the global platforms and from these important lessons can be drawn by others," he said.
He said New Delhi not only honored a very important friend of India but also is celebrating partnership and friendship by inviting Bangladesh as its special guest country at the G-20.
Since 1971, he said both Bangladesh and India together have become fast growing economies of the world today.
"Our advancing progress and our rising ambitions for a better future are creating new opportunities and new momentum for our cooperation," he said.
He said there is a great degree of commitment from the leaders of our two countries who take the Bangladesh-India ties to newer heights.
"The Special edition of 'Bharat Bichitra', that also marked 50th year of this flagship publication of the High Commission of India," the envoy said.
In these 50 years, he said, 'Bharat Bichitra' has captured all the major moments and milestones of India Bangladesh relationship and it has also been a reservoir of all sentiments and mutual empathy.
He said that 'Bharat Bichitra' has been a valuable platform to promote the cultural exchange with Bangladesh and to enhance the standing of India among the people of Bangladesh.
First issue of the magazine was published in April 1973, since then, its publication has gone on uninterruptedly even during the Covid-19 pandemic, he added.
The special edition, which was unveiled today, features articles, interviews, translations that reflect the diversity and richness of Indian culture and also chronicles development and contribution of Bangladesh to the region and the world.
Asaduzzaman Noor, MP, Bangla Academy president writer Selina Hossain and director general poet Mohammad Nurul Huda also spoke among others while a number of eminent poets recited poems marking the occasion.
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
