Our gratitude to all our friends abroad over their role in our War of Liberation remains as profound as it was in 1971. Over the past many months, the fact that the government of Bangladesh has formally honoured a large number of these friends is a move the spirit of which has resonated in our hearts and souls for more than four decades. A few days ago, when sixty of these friends of ours were honoured by the government, we certainly redeemed the promise we made to ourselves back in the time of our gravest crisis --- to be true to our heritage of remembering those who stood by us, to tell us that we were not alone in our tortuous journey through the dark.
In these past few days, we have heard those who came all the way to reciprocate our feelings. Among these good individuals were those who played a direct role in our liberation as a nation. And then there were those who were here as representatives of their illustrious parents, people who in 1971 made it clear that they empathized with us in our predicament, indeed agreed with us that we needed to be free of the asphyxiating control of the state of Pakistan. It is these individuals who, in their various ways, demonstrated courage in a manner that can only be a testament to the values that govern relations between people who understand the hard lessons of history.
We are a proud people once again. We remember the war we fought and won. And we recall those brave, conscientious men and women abroad who travelled that road of determination and grit with us, unwavering and steadfast.