Hasina, rare leader of subcontinent: BJP

Vinay Prabhakar, MP, vice-president of Indian ruling party BJP, termed Bangladesh Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina a rare leader of the entire subcontinent.

"I am more than convinced that you are a true Jononetri not only of the country but also of the entire sub-continent," Vinay said while addressing AL's 20th council at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka.

READ MORE: PM inaugurates Awami League council

He is visiting Bangladesh to attend the council on invitation of the ruling party.

He added that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been giving highest importance of cordial and harmonious relationship between India and all of its neighbouring countries particularly Bangladesh.

ALSO READ: Her finest hour

Under the leadership of Narendra Modi, several unresolved issues including Land Boundary Agreement have seen light of the day and now India is working on the other unresolved issues, he said.

He hoped that India and Bangladesh relationship will be strengthened more in future after respectfully resolving the issues.

Congress Party's Golam Nabi Azad, a leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha in India, who was also invited at the AL council, praised Sheikh Hasina's role in fighting terrorism in the country.

He also congratulated AL while addressing the council.

Another foreign guest Sergey Zheleznyak, MP, and deputy secretary of United Russia, lauded AL and said the party's role in Bangladesh's independence was the most important.

Bangladesh under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina played important role in stability and security enhancement of the subcontinent and the world, United Russia's leader Sergey said.

The bilateral relationship between Bangladesh and Russia will be more stronger in future, he hoped.

A total of 54 political leaders from 11 foreign countries -- India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Austria, Russia, China, UK, Australia, Italy and Canada -- attended the national council of the ruling party.

Apart from BJP's Vinay Prabhakar, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Biman Basu participated in the council.

Partha Chaterjee, education minister of West Bengal and All India Trinamool leader, Debabrata Biswas of All India Forward Bloc and leaders of other political parties of Tripura, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya and Mizoram are also scheduled to join the programme.

A five-member delegation, led by leader of Communist Party of China Zheng Xiaosong, is taking part in the council, while former prime minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli, also leader of the Communist Party of Nepal, will attend the event.

Among others, Canada Conservative Party leader Deepak Obhrai, Jenny Rathbone and Dilwar Ali of UK, Italy Democratic Party leader Ugo Papi, Dina Nath Dungyel of Bhutan, Ernst Graft of Austria, Mohamad Hasheem of Sri Lanka will also attend the conference.