Indian assistant high commissioner in Sylhet, Niraj Kumar Jaiswal said, India-Bangladesh relations are not only diplomatic, political and economic; the relationship between our two countries is spiritual and mutual equality and fairness.

He said this in his inaugural address at the program titled "52 Years of Independence: Bangladesh-India Relations" organized by Bangladesh-India History and Heritage Council, Sylhet on Wednesday night.

The event was organized as part of the Friendship Day celebrations on December 6, 1971, the official recognition of independent sovereign Bangladesh by the Government of India.

Advocate Vijaykrishna Biswas, president of the organization, spoke as special guests in the event, veteran politician Advocate Vedananda Bhatracharya, journalist Al Azad, teacher and writer Abdul Malik spoke as special guests. Welcome speech was delivered by Muktadir Ahmad Mukta, Secretary of Bangladesh-India History and Heritage Council, Sylhet.

Artists from Geetbitan, Sylhet participated in the cultural program which started with the lighting of Mangal lamp.

This year marks the 52th anniversary of Bangladesh-India friendship.

The liberation war began when the Pakistan army carried out genocide on March 25 with the 'Operation Searchlight' and continued that throughout the next nine months. By that time, the brutal Pakistan army killed three million Bengalis and raped hundreds of thousands of women during the nine-month long war.

The final victory of Independent Bangladesh came on December 16, 1971 when 93,000 Pakistani army personnel surrendered before the joint forces of India and the Mukti-Bahini in Dhaka.

During the war, Bangladesh came to know its true friends. India stood firmly beside the homeless, unclad, hungry people of Bangladesh, the then East Pkistan. India provided food, clothing, shelter and protection to more than 10 million refugees during that period. India also provided necessary military training and weapons to the unarmed Bengali fighters.

The Indian army also actively took part in the war on behalf of the Bengalis, ignoring all the obstacles created by the hostile international community, resulting in quick victory for Bangladesh.