Indian high commissioner here on Sunday said the economies of Bangladesh and India are today recording one of the highest rates of growth in an otherwise moribund global economy.
Both countries have achieved food self-sufficiency and in the last five-10 years, Bangladesh has achieved significant and unprecedented gains in the economic and social spheres, he said.
The high commissioner was addressing a conference on ‘Secularism, Democracy and Gender Parity in South Asia’ at Dhaka University.
Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury attended it as the chief guest, held with DU VC Prof Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique in the chair.
Director of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies, Kolkata Dr Sreeradha Datta, conference coordinator Prof Mesbah Kamal, DU Registrar Prof Enamuzzaman and Prof Rizwan Kaiser, among others, spoke at the programme.
He said both Bangladesh and India are nations that have been influenced by the struggle of people to realise the freedom to shape respective destinies. “Our belief in democracy and liberty for our citizens is common. Our collective experience in all these areas has been very enriching,” said the high commissioner.
In Bangladesh, Shringla said, secularism remains one of the four fundamental principles of the State policy.
He said South Asia is a region of many faiths, cultures, ethnicities, and, languages and most South Asians countries have a deep faith and understanding of democracy, secularism and the importance of gender parity.
