'Hasina's visit to India to see breakthrough in bilateral ties'

16 December 2009, 17:00 PM

Pallab Bhattacharya, New Delhi

Ahead of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India next month, eminent personalities yesterday hoped for a 'breakthrough' in relations between Bangladesh and India. They also suggested that the ties between the two countries could be a model for bilateral relationship in South Asia. The views came at a discussion marking the Victory Day at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, where the speakers, including journalists, parliamentarians, diplomats and war veterans, recalled the contribution of the freedom fighters. Former Indian minister and MP Mani Shankar Aiyer expressed the hope that Indo-Bangla relations would see a 'breakthrough' with the upcoming visit of Hasina. Former BBC correspondent Mark Tully hoped that a 'new door' of friendship between India and Bangladesh would open with the visit of Hasina. The relationship should be brought to a new height that would set an example of friendship in the South Asia, he added. Veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar recalled his meetings with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Dhaka and other ministers. Referring to the brutalities of the Pakistani occupation forces during the Liberation War in 1971, he said, "These were beyond imagination." Some war veterans, who took part in the discussion, recalled their experiences during the liberation war and said that they could not have reached Dhaka without the help of freedom fighters and the common people. High Commissioner Tariq A Karim said the 16th December has a special significance for Bangladesh, because it was a "victory of the people who wanted to establish a democratic and secular country". Before the discussion, messages of President Zillur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina were read out. Earlier, the high commissioner hoisted the national flag of Bangladesh at the chancery. A feature film based on the liberation war was screened at the High Commission's auditorium in the evening.