Bangladesh President Md Abdul Hamid, who is in Bhutan for a state visit, on Monday said his country would not be cowed down by the "cowardly" Dhaka cafe terror siege and was committed to fighting against all kinds of terrorism.
"I am saddened today in the wake of unfortunate deaths of some innocent people in Dhaka who were mercilessly killed by a group of miscreants on July 1, 2016. I would like to reiterate that we are not frightened of such cowardly act and our government is committed to fight against all types of terrorism and violent extremism," Hamid said addressing Bhutan's parliament, The Daily Star reported.
Hamid's address came on a day Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid tribute to the victims of the bloody July 1 siege at a special event in Dhaka.
Hamid stressed stronger partnership between both the nations for economic development of the people and said that Bhutan has a special place in the hearts of the Bangladeshi people, as it was the first country to recognise Bangladesh as a sovereign nation.
Describing hydropower as the most potential avenue of cooperation between the nations, the President said: "We need to take more target-oriented actions for achieving tangible results in this area."
He also lauded Bhutan for passing a bill related to the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicles Agreement and touched on Bhutan's pioneering concept of Gross National Happiness.
"If we let this simple concept be our guide, if we pursue the vision described by His Majesty the Fourth King, then I have no doubt our future generations will live in a world that would be more prosperous, more secure and peaceful, and more meaningful," he said.
Earlier, on his arrival at the Bhutanese Parliament, Hamid was received by Speaker of the National Assembly of Bhutan Lyonpo Jigme Zangpo and Chairman of National Council Sonam Kinga.
--IANS
ss/rn/dg
