Addressing a banquet hosted by Nepalese President Bidhya Devi Bhandar on Wednesday, Hamid stressed the importance of strengthening road, rail and air connectivity, water resources management, power and energy, especially hydropower generation and boosting tourism as the two countries have immense potential in these areas.
Bangladesh attaches greater importance to its relations with Nepal, said the President adding that the people of Bangladesh recall with deep gratitude the moral and material support extended by the political leadership and the people of Nepal during the War of Liberation in 1971.
“Our two countries and people are bound together with the ties of history, culture and language," Hamid said.
The President also said, "We in Bangladesh have been closely following the developments in Nepal and are confident that its government will be successful in implementing its policies for socio-economic development of the country and fulfill the vision of ‘Samridhdha Nepal, Sukhi Nepali’.
President Hamid said Bangladesh stands ready to extend all-out support to Nepal in this process of achieving socio-economic prosperity.
He said the government of Bangladesh has taken up the policy of inclusive development and strives to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the designated timeframe.
"The International Monetary Fund in its 2019 estimate ranked Bangladesh as the 29th largest economy in the world in terms of Purchasing Power Parity. Our GDP has been growing and poverty has been reducing gradually," he said.
Mentioning Bangladesh as a role model for socio-economic development, he said, "Our government under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina envisages seeing Bangladesh as a ‘Middle Income Digital Bangladesh’ by 2021 and as a developed country by 2041."
The President hoped that Bangladesh and Nepal will be able to harness the existing synergies and the warm and friendly relations between the two countries will be further consolidated. "We’ll continue our traditionally close cooperation in multilateral and regional forums and work together for achieving common aspirations.”
He went on to say, “I must make special mention of the enviable role of South Asia in UN peacekeeping, where Bangladeshi peacekeepers have been working closely with their Nepalese comrades in peacekeeping missions across the world."
Hamid said, "It’s a matter of great pride that the birth centenary of our Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman will be held in a very befitting manner in 2020 and the Golden Jubilee Celebration of our independence will be observed in 2021 respectively. I look forward that the friendly people of Nepal will share our joys and happiness."
President’s spouse Rashida Khanam, Nepalese Vice-President Nanda Bahadur Pun, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, lawmakers and high dignitaries of Nepal, Whip Atiur Rahman Atik, Rejwan Ahammad Taufiq, MP, ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury, MP, Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque, President’s Secretary Sampad Baura, Military Secretary Major General Shamim-Uz-Zaman and Press Secretary Joynal Abedin were, among others, present.