South Asia

Bangabandhu one of the greatest in the history of South Asia: President of Maldives Solih Speech
twitter.com/abdulla_shahid Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih

Bangabandhu one of the greatest in the history of South Asia: President of Maldives

Bangladesh Live News | @banglalivenews | 18 Mar 2021, 12:37 pm

Dhaka, March 18: President of the Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has termed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as one of the greatest men in the history of South Asia and said that he has taken a permanent seat in the hearts of the people hoping for democracy and freedom.

"He (Bangabandhu) is one of the great men in the history of South Asia, whose activities have played a leading role in determining the individual destiny of the people of Bangladesh," Mohamed Solih said at the inaugural ceremony of the country's centenary celebrations and the country's golden jubilee of independence at the National Parade Ground on Wednesday.

"The architect of Bangladesh will forever have a place of honor in the hearts of those who aspire for democracy and independence," Solih said.

Joining the ten-day celebrations as one of the five leaders of South Asia, the Maldivian president said, "Bangabandhu has been a 'uncompromising proponent' of democracy and political freedom all his life."

Solih said, "He has often spoken out strongly for the values ​​that resonated in the minds of people at all levels. His six-point program laid the foundation for Bangladesh's independence and laid down the underlying values ​​of the country's constitution."

The Maldivian leader said Bangabandhu's speech on March 7, in particular, was a testament to his "skill and great historical position" in declaring Bangladesh's independence. That is why UNESCO has registered it in the Memory of the World Register as a documentary heritage.

He congratulated Bangladesh for its significant work in improving the living standards of the people of Bangladesh and the development of the country, saying "the progress of Bangladesh's economic development is significant."

He said Bangladesh recently took a great liberal step by sending a team of healthcare professionals from the Bangladesh Air Force to build healthcare in the Maldives.

Referring to the Bangladesh-Maldives cooperation as "broad", the Maldivian president said, "We rely on your assistance in various areas of human resource development, especially health and medical care."

He said that as a low-lying country in the Indian Ocean, climate change has emerged as an urgent mutual priority for both countries.

"We commend Bangladesh for its leading role in the Maldives Climate Risk Forum and its efforts to develop a Blue Economy. The Blue Economy is our common goal," Solih said.

He expressed his country's interest in continued cooperation in tackling the existential threat posed by climate change.