Hasina, Modi virtual summit likely on Dec 17: FM

Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen has said the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh’s independence is expected to witness a large number of bilateral activities between Bangladesh and India taking historic relations to a new height.
‘We’re happy that prime minister Narendra Modi will participate in the celebrations of the 50th Independence Day of Bangladesh on March 26 next year,’ he said. Momen said that both the prime ministers of Bangladesh and India will meet for a virtual summit coinciding with the celebrations of victory in December — most likely on December 17.
The foreign minister was addressing a webinar on ‘India’s Contribution to the Liberation War of Bangladesh’ on Sunday.
Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Doraiswami, Justice Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik, educationist Shamoly Nasreen Chowdhury, freedom fighter and Swadhinata Padak awardee Colonel (retired) Sajjad Zahir, prominent human rights activist Julian Francis, and social activist Aroma Dutta also spoke on the occasion.
Momen said that the saga of Great Liberation War was, by its enormity, a triumph for the ‘free world’ and democracy.
The creation of Bangladesh was also a triumph of the innate democratic ideals and resolve of the people who delivered tears, toils and blood in pursuit of a homeland in which they could speak their own language, nurture their culture and lead the life in dignity — free from the spectre of extremism and exploitation, he said.
‘We carried through the battlefield an eternal dream of universal liberty, pluralism, religious harmony, human rights and a democratic and egalitarian society, not only for our own selves but also for the rest of the world,’ said the foreign minister.
New Age