The 26th March is the date Bangladesh celebrates its independence from Pakistan in 1971, and to commemorate the country’s 46th anniversary I was pleased to accept an invitation to attend a celebration event in the Houses of Parliament.
The event was hosted and organised by the United Kingdom branch of the Awami League – which is considered to be the oldest and biggest political party of Bangladesh and which has significant ties to Bangladeshi independence.
Bangladesh has strong historical ties with the UK as part of the Commonwealth and our two countries continue to hold strong links to this day; the UK is the largest foreign investor in Bangladesh and the third biggest export destination for Bangladeshi goods.
Northampton also has a thriving Bangladeshi community which I am pleased to support with regular attendance at community events.