POBNEWS24, Dhaka, April 23, 2022 : Sri Lanka wants to see Bangladesh as a strategic partner, said Sudarshan Seneviratne, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh. He said that in today’s world, relations between the two countries need to be assessed. Now Bangladesh-Sri Lanka partnership has become essential. Because our unity will protect the region around the Bay of Bengal.
A recent statement of the High Commissioner was published in the Sri Lankan media on Saturday on the occasion of 50 years of Bangladesh-Sri Lanka friendship. There, the High Commissioner emphasized that Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are partners of the larger family represented in SAARC, BIMSTEC and IORA. He said Dhaka and Colombo need prosperity together. Sri Lanka is looking at investing in Bangladesh.
The High Commissioner said the Indian Ocean has now become one of the focal points of interest for global power zones. The desire for their involvement in the Bay of Bengal is also growing. The Sri Lankan High Commissioner said that at present we are witnessing intense competition. The future of South Asia depends on it. This is because the global ‘neo-liberal’ political and economic system has begun to have an aggressive effect on the region. He said that for sure, it could change the balance of power and amity between the neighboring countries of South Asia.
The Sri Lankan High Commissioner said Bangladesh and Sri Lanka play an equally important role at the two strategic ends of the Bay of Bengal. It is also used as a gateway to the larger world system. The High Commissioner said that the Bay of Bengal is basically an ocean highway. As such, the future of our two countries and their ability to survive revolve around the protection of beaches in the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal. He said the Bay of Bengal is one of the richest areas in the world — it is now recognized. So it has high competition for natural and human resources.
Seneviratne wished more 50 years of friendship and solidarity between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as a gift to the people of the two countries and the world. He said the private sector shipping companies of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have recently started joint ventures and the state-owned shipping corporations are working together.
