Bangladesh committed to peace, dev: Iftekhar
Thursday, 2 August 2007
Bangladesh is committed to peace and development, Foreign Affairs Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, now in Manila to attend the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) meeting, said Wednesday.
For this Bangladesh joined the ARF at a time when the dawn of the Asian Century is breaking out across the global horizon.
The adviser made the remarks while speaking as the head of the delegation of the latest nation to join the ARF at a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Forum with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of the Philippines in the chair.
Earlier, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury was presented to President Arroyo at Presidential Palace , according to a message received in Dhaka, reports UNB.
The adviser said: "As all are aware, Bangladesh today is undergoing great changes. Reforms are in motion, setting up institutions that would sustain the pluralist spirit and urges of the Bangladeshi people for a long time to come."
He said: "At home and abroad, we are a mainstream and moderate voice encouraging bridge-building across faiths and communities; we take great pride in the communal harmony that pervades our society."
It was in this spirit, Chowdhury said that a few days ago Bangladesh gifted the sacred hair of Lord Buddha to Sri Lanka, "not because we wanted to be seen as generous, but because we wanted to share our heritage with the Sri Lankan Buddhists."
He praised the Philippines for the measures adopted to establish communal harmony between Christians and Muslims and said that Bangladesh would support and welcome the Philippines as an 'Observer' of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC).
For this Bangladesh joined the ARF at a time when the dawn of the Asian Century is breaking out across the global horizon.
The adviser made the remarks while speaking as the head of the delegation of the latest nation to join the ARF at a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Forum with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of the Philippines in the chair.
Earlier, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury was presented to President Arroyo at Presidential Palace , according to a message received in Dhaka, reports UNB.
The adviser said: "As all are aware, Bangladesh today is undergoing great changes. Reforms are in motion, setting up institutions that would sustain the pluralist spirit and urges of the Bangladeshi people for a long time to come."
He said: "At home and abroad, we are a mainstream and moderate voice encouraging bridge-building across faiths and communities; we take great pride in the communal harmony that pervades our society."
It was in this spirit, Chowdhury said that a few days ago Bangladesh gifted the sacred hair of Lord Buddha to Sri Lanka, "not because we wanted to be seen as generous, but because we wanted to share our heritage with the Sri Lankan Buddhists."
He praised the Philippines for the measures adopted to establish communal harmony between Christians and Muslims and said that Bangladesh would support and welcome the Philippines as an 'Observer' of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC).