Online Desk: British Cabinet Minister and Chairman of Conservative Party Richard Holden MP has congratulated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on assuming office for the 4th consecutive term following the 12th Parliamentary Election in Bangladesh.

He was attending an event at the House of Lords along with Baroness Sandy Verma, President of All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on India (Trade and Investment) and Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem.

The event was organized by the Bangladesh High Commission in London recently to commemorate the 52nd anniversary of Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s historic visit to the United Kingdom on January 8, 1972 and his meetings with then Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath and then Leader of the Opposition and two-times Prime Minister Sir Harold Wilson.

Minister Holden termed Bangabandhu’s January 8 visit to the UK as a milestone in establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries and said, “Sheikh Mujibur Rahman struggled most of his life and spent 14 years in imprisonment to realise civil, political and cultural rights of the Bengali people in erstwhile East Pakistan and led Bangladesh to independence in 1971.”

Other MPs and Lords present at the event also congratulated PM Sheikh Hasina for her 4th term and praised Bangladesh’s unprecedented growth and development under the leadership of PM Sheikh Hasina. Attendees included President of All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on India (Trade and Investment) Baroness Verma, Vice Chairs of All Party Parliamentary Group on Bangladesh Tom Hunt MP and Afzal Khan MP, Former Parliamentary Private Secretary to Secretary of State for DCMS Paul Bristow MP, Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Health and Social Care) Martyn Day MP, Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Trade and Investment Lord Boateng, Chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee Sir Stephen Timms MP, Vice Chair of All Party Parliamentary Group on India (Trade and Investment) Lord David Evans of Watford, Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Foreign Affairs Baroness Uddin representing Conservative, Labour and SNP parties.

High Commissioner Saida Muna Tasneem said: “Bangladesh High Commission has been commemorating the historic January 8 visit for the last 5 years to refresh the memories of new generation politicians from the Conservative and Labour parties. It was our Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who through his visit to the United Kingdom and two historic meetings on January 8, 1972 laid the very foundation of today’s vibrant Bangladesh-UK relations”

High Commissioner of India in UK Vikram K Doraiswami, while attending as special guest, said, “Bangabandhu continues to be regarded by the people of India as a charismatic and visionary leader. Today, honourable Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, is admirably leading the nation in realising his vision of a democratic and secular Bangladesh. We believe the continuation of democracy, growth and development in Bangladesh and India will definitely help the UK sustain its own growth and development given its longstanding partnership with both the countries.”

Another special guest and Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Trade and Investment Lord Boateng, terming Bangabandhu as one of the most charismatic leaders, said, “Bangabandhu’s leadership got global acclaim from his participation at the historic NAM Summit in 1973.”

Eminent British-Bangladeshi Community members including Sultan Mahmud Sharif, Syed Sazidur Rahman Faruk and Syed Muzammel Ali recounted the fond memories of Bangabandhu’s historic January 8 visit, according to the Bangladesh High Commission in London.