On the auspicious occasion of the 44th anniversary of the Independence and National Day of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, I extend my heartiest congratulations and warm greetings to all members of Bangladesh community living in this beautiful country.

I also take this opportunity to extend our sincere gratitude to the government and the people of Saudi Arabia for the continued and generous support provided to us.

This great day as we celebrate, I pay my deep respect to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who led the Nation to achieve Independence through a glorious War of Liberation in 1971.

I salute and pay my deep homage to all the valiant freedom fighters who made supreme sacrifices and presented us the independent Bangladesh.

My respect is to the martyrs of Liberation War and all those millions of people who withstood all the sufferings yet supported the War of Liberation.

Forty-four years on, the journey of our nationhood is not very long.

However, we must take pride that Bangladesh, despite many obstacles and impediments, has made considerable progress in various aspects of life, including social, economic and political.

Its achievements in social development and macro-management continue to illicit unqualified appreciation from the global community.

The present government of Bangladesh has been working hard to build a digital Bangladesh and to achieve middle income country status with a vision by 2021.

Bangladesh has put its efforts to strengthen the process of peace and democracy encouraging dialogue and negotiation and called for reformation to the international order for protection and promotion of the interest of all nations.

Our contribution to UN peace keeping operations in many trouble spots in the world eloquently speaks of our continuing commitment to this direction.

In fact, Bangladesh’s enlightened and forward looking foreign policy had made the country an important role player in the UN, NAM, OIC, Commonwealth and other international and regional organizations.

Bangladesh always attaches great importance on its ties with the government and the people of Saudi Arabia.

These excellent relations between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia may be attributed to the fact that both countries share many common perspectives, values and commitments.

Over the last 39 years, Bangladesh-Saudi friendship has not only endured the vicissitude of time, but also been consolidated and prospered.

The relations have reached to new height this year with the opening of Saudi labor market for the Bangladeshi manpower, which was closed since 2008.

I would like to take this opportunity to express our deepest gratitude to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman for his kind consent for re-opening of the Kingdom’s labor market for Bangladeshi workforce.

The extraordinary kindness and generosity of King Salman and the brotherly people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Bangladesh will always be remembered with reverence by the people of Bangladesh.

Today there is contact between an impressive range of individuals and institutions in almost every sector of our two societies.

Bangladesh hopes to build on the achievements of the past to set up a future of even closer co-operation and understanding both at the bilateral and multilateral levels between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia and their peoples to herald a defining moment of raising our relationship to a new pedestal in the coming years.

On this day I would urge upon all the members of Bangladesh Community to continue their valuable support to accelerate the socio-economic developments of our beloved motherland and to further strengthen the excellent relationship that exist between our two brotherly countries.

Joi Bangla,

Joi Bangabandhu.

Golam Moshi, Ambassador of Bangladesh