COLOMBO : On the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the Independence and National Day of Bangladesh, it gives me great pleasure to extend warm greetings and felicitations to the people of Sri Lanka, from the people of Bangladesh. I would also like to convey our appreciation for the friendliness and good wishes extended to us throughout the history of our relations that spans over two and a half millennia.
We pay our profound tribute to the freedom fighters and the martyrs of the glorious War of Liberation of Bangladesh in 1971. Even now, their sacrifice remains as the beacon of hope and inspiration during our fight against any kind of oppression against humanity anywhere in the world. Born as a sovereign state with the principles of equity and justice, Bangladesh has actively participated in international efforts for peacekeeping and peacebuilding across the globe, earning the laurel of one of the highest troop contributors on UN peacekeeping operations. We also gratefully remember that strong support by the people of Sri Lanka during our struggle for independence. I take this opportunity to acknowledge with gratitude the students, academics, common people of Sri Lanka who provided their all-out support for the cause of Bangladesh in 1971.
Bangladesh-Sri Lanka relationship has been based on our common historical legacy, cultural similarities, shared values, similar but not the same cuisine, passion for music, identical aspirations, and even similar nature of challenges. Diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka was established shortly after the independence of Bangladesh, and since then the two maritime neighbours have enjoyed strong bond of goodwill and close cooperation. We both have been assisting each other in times of need and stood together for our common goals in bilateral and multilateral arena. Our common positions in regional and international platforms like UN, IMO, IORA, BIMSTEC and SAARC have helped the two countries to work together for mutual and global benefits through these organisations. Joint works of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the fields of climate change, disaster management, safe and regular migration, welfare of migrant workers, maritime safety, anti-piracy and anti-terrorism issues help us get win-win results. In the aftermath of the recent Ditwah cyclone in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh provided immediate relief and medical support, using Bangladesh Air Force aircraft, another testimony of the friendly relations between the two nations.
With the newly elected Government in Bangladesh that assumed office in February 2026, Bangladesh is ready for an even stronger collaborative relationship with Sri Lanka. The present Government in Bangladesh, led by the Hon’ble Prime Minister H.E. Tarique Rahman, is focusing on elimination of poverty, providing safety net for the marginalised segment of the society, and reducing inequality, continuing the legacy of his parents, President Ziaur Rahman and Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia. With these visions, Bangladesh is ready and willing to work with neighbours for a peaceful and progressive South Asia.
We are very happy to see the continuous peace, prosperity, and progress of Sri Lanka under the pragmatic leadership provided by the Hon’ble President H.E. Anura Kumara Dissanayake, and are ready to work with the Government and the people of Sri Lanka for common causes. Our collaborations in the areas of education, culture, people-to-people contact, infrastructure development, energy, including renewable energy, and defence are steadily on the rise. We also are engaged in promoting bilateral trade and investment. Sri Lankan business community has been working closely with their counterparts in Bangladesh, and both the Sri Lanka High Commission in Dhaka, and the Bangladesh High Commission in Colombo are playing crucial roles to ensure synergy. Bangladesh is hosting a good number of Sri Lankan expatriates who are contributing to the economies and cultures of both the countries.
It is indeed a great honour and pleasure for me to be a part of this friendship. We believe Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will achieve even more significant milestones together in near future, and we invite all our Sri Lankan friends to join in this exciting journey of friendship, peace and prosperity.
May Bangladesh-Sri Lanka friendship live forever!
