On Monday (July 28, 2025), the Maldives High Commission in Bangladesh celebrated the 60th Anniversary of Maldivian Independence at a prestigious hotel in Dhaka. The colorful event highlighted the friendly relations, diplomatic progress and various aspects of mutual cooperation between the two countries.
Advisor to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment and Culture of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, Dr. Asif Nazrul, was present as the chief guest at the event. He expressed his gratitude to the Maldives High Commission for inviting him to the event and shared an emotional memory of his visit to the Maldives.
He said, “I went to Maldives in 2013. At that time, Blue Malay was under construction. There were many Bangladeshi workers working there. It was Ramadan, they were having Iftar. I and Dr. Kamal Hossain, who was a member of the SAARC Fact Finding Commission, were invited to have Iftar with them. They were very happy and spoke about the sincerity and friendship of the Maldivians.”
Dr. Asif Nazrul further said, “Friendly relations between Bangladesh and Maldives have been established on the basis of mutual respect and values. Our cooperation extends to trade, education, health, climate change mitigation and tourism. Although our bilateral trade volume is currently around US$ 8 billion, there is a huge potential to expand it further.”
Maldivian High Commissioner Shiuneen Rasheed thanked all the guests for attending the event. He expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives in the recent plane crash in Uttara and sympathized with the people of Bangladesh. He said that Maldives is today a respected country in the world, especially for its leadership in the tourism sector, its vocal role on climate issues and its effective stance in the diplomatic field.
He added, “Today’s celebration would be incomplete if we did not pay tribute to our closest friend Bangladesh. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1978, the two countries have not only shared maritime borders, but also shared culture, values, inspiration and deep friendship based on mutual respect and solidarity.”
Also present at the event were Farida Akhtar, Advisor to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock of the interim government of Bangladesh, Sharmin S. Murshid, Advisor to the Ministry of Social Welfare, and former Home Minister Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Altaf Hossain Chowdhury.
It is worth noting that a special song was also released on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of Maldives’ independence, which created joy and enthusiasm among all those present at the event.
Diplomats, government officials, businessmen, academics, cultural figures, and media personnel participated in the event.
