Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Abdul Momen on Monday called bilateral relations with Turkey "fraternal," praising the strong relations between the two countries.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh’s founding father, was greatly inspired by the bravery and leadership of Turkish republic founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, said Momen during the inauguration ceremony of a bust of Rahman in Turkey's capital Ankara.
Reiterating that the two nations are bound by a shared history, cultural ties and faith, Momen said: "Today's occasion of unveiling the bust of Bangladesh’s founding father in Ankara is a clear manifestation of our deepening friendship. This will not only help consolidate our relationship but also add a new dimension to it."
Expressing his gratitude toward the people and government of Turkey for the bust erected on one of the major streets of Ankara, he said it would help strengthen Turkish and Bangladeshi peoples’ understanding of each other’s history and culture.
He also thanked Foreign Minister Mevlüt Cavuşoğlu, Ankara’s governor and mayor for their generous hospitality since their arrival on Sunday for a visit to Turkey.
Bangladesh marked its 50th year of independence on March 26.
Though the two modern nation-states established formal diplomatic relations in 1974, the extensive relations between Turkey and the people of Bangladesh have existed since the medieval era, through the latter's sultanate, Mughal and British periods, to modern times.
Apart from the Mughal-Ottoman relations, Bengali Muslims supported Turkey in its War of Independence in the early 20th century. The interactions and cultural exchanges throughout history have resulted in substantial influence on different aspects of cooperation.
The last decade opened a new dimension for the growing partnership between the two countries after then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Dhaka in 2010 and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited Turkey in 2011. Those visits led to the formation of the Turkey-Bangladesh Business Council.