Guest of Honour, HE Ambassador Adamu Ibrahim Lamuwa, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, being ably represented by the Director of Asia Pacific Ambassador Misitura Abdulrahim of the same. Dignitaries, Leaders of Nigerian businesses, Academia, Members of Media and civil society, expatriate Bangladeshis, Ladies and Gentlemen.

Good evening and Welcome to the National Day Reception of Bangladesh!

On the occasion of Bangladesh National Day and 53^rd Independence Day, I would like to congratulate fellow countrymen present here and extend our goodwill, fraternity and friendship to all the countries of the world. The ideals, visions and charismatic leadership of our founding Father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, duly carried forward by his able daughter Hon’ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has today transformed Bangladesh as a developing, middle-income country. Ipay my deepest tribute to the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for his visionary leadership, indomitable courage and tremendous sacrificesover two and a half decades in the culmination of independent Bangladesh.I pay my homage to the martyrdom of three million, maximum sacrificesof two hundred thousand women and children in our war of liberation in 1971.

I express my gratitude for your presence in this year’s event. This year Bangladesh and Nigeria celebrates the 50^th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Diplomatic relations. Bangladesh and Nigeria began their journey around the same time, in the height of cold war spaced inside 10 years- 1971 and 1961 respectively. I would like to congratulate both Bangladesh and Nigeria on their journey in global map as a peace-loving constructive player. Both collaborate deeply in the UN and under the aegis of the UN bodies and international organizations, often sharing identical position while strongly supporting each other. We would deeply acknowledge with gratitude the much-needed support Bangladesh received from Nigeria in being elected to the member of the UN HRC, to the IMO and as well as in the post of Managing Director to the Common Fund for Commodities. Likewise, Bangladesh and Nigeria have long-standing close cooperation in the D8, the NAM, the Commonwealth, the OIC and other South-South and Triangular cooperation.

Over the years, Bangladesh and Nigeria had deepened their cooperation in defence training, educational exchanges and people to people exchanges. Our shared history, identical demographic dividend and synergic diasporawould do much better, as our proactive diplomacy resonates with the four pillars of foreign policy of Nigeria- Democracy, Diplomacy, Demography and Diaspora. The letter of Nigerian President addressed to our Hon’ble Prime Minister on her election victory demonstrated the renewed commitment to forge and diversify bilateral cooperation to the mutual benefit of the two peoples.