New Delhi

Lauding India's support during Bangladesh's Liberation war of 1971, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday reaffirmed her country's ties with India and said this relationship goes far beyond strategic partnership and have strengthened during the last decade.

Speaking at an event in New Delhi, visiting Prime Minister Hasina said Bangladesh witnessed an unparalleled gesture of friendship from the government and people of India as they were provided with empathy, shelter and resources.

"We express our gratitude to our Indian brothers who sacrificed their invaluable lives and shed blood for the cause of our war of liberation. It is always an honour for us to remember those noble persons who sacrificed their lives. My salutations to you, to the brave hearts-- our heroes," she said while referring to the liberation war.

Hasina made these remarks during an event in New Delhi where the Bangladesh government instituted the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rehman Student Scholarship for 200 Direct Descendants of Indian Defence Forces personnel who made the sacrifice or were critically injured during the 1971 War of Liberation of Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh PM commenced the scheme by awarding the scholarship to 10 direct descendants of Indian Army personnel in presence of the External Affairs Minister (EAM), Dr S Jaishankar.

"This event is especially very close to my heart as this is an opportunity for us to pay our sincere homage to all the martyrs - both from Bangladesh and India, who laid down their lives during our Liberation War in 1971 and to the war veterans of both the countries," PM Hasina said in her address.

The Bangladesh Prime Minister said this scholarship is her humble effort to reconnect the younger generations to the historic past of which they are a proud part. "We believe, the awardees of the scholarship would have an opportunity to revisit the memories of valour of their forefathers, relate it to the present circumstances and would continue to bridge between the two countries," she said.

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"The relationship between Bangladesh and India goes far beyond strategic partnership and has further strengthened during the last decade. Having forged a strong partnership over the last 50 years, both countries are working on an increasingly wide range of sectoral collaboration," she added.

On the land border issues, Hasina said the resolution of longstanding issues of demarcation of maritime and land boundaries bear testimony to that effect. "The relationship is known to be the 'Role Model for the Neighborhood Diplomacy' worldwide."