Eminent speakers at a webinar marking ‘Mujib Borsha’ observed that Bangabandhu’s dynamism and farsightedness shaped the foreign policy visions of Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Permanent Mission to the United Nations, New York in collaboration with the Subir and Malini Chowdhury Center for Bangladesh Studies, University of California, Berkeley organised the virtual discussion titled “Foreign Policy Visions of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman” , a press release said here on Wednesday.
At the webinar, foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said the historic dictum of Bangabandhu, “friendship towards all, and malice towards none” as the bedrock of Bangladesh foreign policy and will continue to define it in the future.
“Bangabandhu was ideologically very upright, yet essentially pragmatic to uphold the best interest of his country. He, therefore, decided to pursue a neutral foreign policy based on universal values and principles,” he said.
The Foreign Minister mentioned that Bangabandhu’s foreign policy was marked by dynamism coupled with neutrality and high moral standing in the global arena that helped Bangladesh earning recognitions of almost all the countries of the world within a very short span of time.
Eminent international speakers, Salil Tripathi, award winning author and journalist; Tom A Dine, senior diplomat, US Foreign Services and friends of Bangladesh liberation war honoree and Professor Dr. Syed Anwar Husain, Bangabandhu Chair, Bangladesh University of Professionals were present as panelists.
Salil Tripathi praised Bangabandhu for advocating ‘inclusive nationalism’, which is rooted in the 1952 language movement and opined that such concept remains very relevant in today’s world.
Tom Dine shed lights in the political climate in US administration during the war of liberation in 1971 and lauded Bangladesh for proving the then US leadership wrong through transformative development and progress in 50 years’ time.
As the Bangabandhu Chair of Bangladesh University of Professionals, Professor Anwar Hussain focused on Bangabandhu’s role in placing Bangladesh in the international stage.
The speakers emphasized on conducting more research and campaigns to spread the ideals of Bangabandhu among the young generations.
Salil Tripathi is the author of “The Colonel Who Would Not Repent: The Bangladesh War and its Unquiet Legacy” and an award-winning journalist who chairs PEN International’s writers in prison committee.
Tom A Dine, a former US diplomat, received Friends of Bangladesh liberation war honour for his contribution to Bangladesh’s independence.
Director of the Subir and Malini Chowdhury Center for Bangladesh Studies and also the Executive Director of the Institute for South Asia Studies of University of California, Berkeley Dr. Sanchita B Saxena moderated the webinar.
