When Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman liberated Bangladesh, he inherited a war-ravaged nation and knew that, without the right partnerships, he would not be able to support his people. Thus, he adopted the principle that has now become Bangladesh’s mantra: “Friendship to all, malice to none.”

To that end, it is extremely encouraging to see the progress we have made with regard to international diplomacy and foreign policy, particularly under the thoughtful leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and the five heads of states of neighbouring countries who are visiting this month -- this is testament to the fact that we continue to follow in the footsteps of Bangabandhu and use his teachings for extending friendship to all as a guiding light.