Bangladesh wants the UK on its side to end wars for world peace

Ansar Ahmed Ullah
Contributing Editor,Shottobani

London: Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister, Dr Hasan Mahmud, MP, called upon the UK government to collaborate with Bangladesh to establish a peaceful and conflict-free world and to put an end to the ongoing wars in Gaza and Ukraine.

During his speech as the Guest of Honour at a high-profile diplomatic reception hosted by the Bangladesh High Commission, London, to celebrate the 54th independence of Bangladesh on 1 May, the Foreign Minister emphasised the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire in conflict zones worldwide, including Gaza and Ukraine. He stressed that stopping the killing of innocent people is crucial to restoring normalcy and establishing peace.

Speaker of the UK’s Parliament, Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, was the Chief Guest at the event where Leader of the House of Commons, Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP, UK FCDO Minister for Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and United Nations Lord Tariq Ahmad, Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Steve Reed MP, and Chairman of All-party Parliamentary Group on Bangladesh Rushanara Ali MP spoke as special guests. International Affairs Adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Dr Gawher Rizvi, Former Foreign Minister and Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs Dr AK Abdul Momen, MP and State Minister for Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Shofiqur Rahman Choudhury MP attended the reception.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem gave welcome remarks at the reception held at the historic Churchill Room of Queen Elizabeth II, sited in a magnificent setting centring the British Parliament.

In his speech, the Foreign Minister Dr Mahmud paid profound homage to Bangladesh’s Founding Father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the 3 million martyrs, and the valiant freedom fighters of the 1971 War of Liberation. He expressed his gratitude to the UK Government, its citizens, and the British-Bangladeshi diaspora for their support during Bangladesh’s War of Liberation and pledged to elevate Bangladesh-UK historical relations to new heights under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

He paid tribute to British Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath, who warmly welcomed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib as the President of independent Bangladesh at No 10 Downing Street on 8 January 1972. The Minister also paid tribute to the then opposition Leader and two-time British Prime Minister Sir Harold Wilson, who welcomed Bangabandhu in London and later mourned his brutal assassination on 15 August 1975.

Dr. Mahmud thanked Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for emphasising his commitment to enhancing the economic and security partnership between Bangladesh and the UK in his congratulatory letter to Prime Minister Hasina after the national election on January 7th, 2024. He stated that Prime Minister Hasina remains dedicated to strengthening their robust trade, investment, aviation, climate, defence, security, and migration cooperation to the next level in her current term, as agreed upon by the two Prime Ministers in London last May.
The minister termed the UK as a true friend of Bangladesh and hoped that Bangladesh-UK friendship would continue to thrive, as they are an important partner in ensuring peace, prosperity, and security in the Bay of Bengal and a free, open, peaceful, and secure Indo-Pacific region.

Speaker of the UK’s Parliament, Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, in his speech, paid tribute to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and recalled the contribution of the British-Bangladeshis to the War of Liberation in 1971. He reaffirmed that the UK would remain a steadfast partner of Bangladesh’s efforts towards a developed country.

Penny Mordaunt MP commended Bangladesh’s recent progress and assured that the UK would collaborate with Bangladesh to build a better and prosperous future. He also praised the significant role of the British-Bangladeshi diaspora for their contribution to the UK’s economy and society.

Lord Tariq Ahmad lauded Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for upholding the values and spirit of Bangabandhu in creating a self-sustaining, inclusive, and secular Bangladesh, which is now one of the world’s most rapidly growing economies. He said that Sheikh Hasina is a leader who showed the world the magnanimity of humanity by hosting over a million Rohingya displaced from the country Myanmar.

The Foreign Minister, along with the UK’s Speaker, High Commissioner and distinguished guests, unveiled the exclusive “Mujib and Britain’ publication by the Bangladesh High Commission, London and handed over the Bangabandhu-Edward Heath Friendship Award’ and the ‘Bangabandhu-Harold Wilson Award’ to two great friends of Bangladesh Lord Marland and Lord Swaraj Paul respectively to honour their extraordinary contributions in promoting Bangladesh-UK Friendship.