Recalling Bangabandhu in Belgrade

Veteran Awami League leader and former Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed is currently visiting Serbia, former Yugoslavia, to attend the 141st assembly of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) along with Speaker Dr. Shirin Sharmin Choudhury, Amir Hossain Amu MP, Subarna Mustafa MP and some other dignitaries from Bangladesh.

Tofail Ahmed told The Asian Age that he became very nostalgic while visiting Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. He recalled his trip to the then Yugoslavia back in 1973 with Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

They were received by the former Yugoslavian President Josip Broz Tito who is popularly known as Marshal Tito and former Yugoslavian Premier Dzemal Bijedic.

Tofail Ahmed and Bangabandhu visited Belgrade on 29 August 1973 and from there they flew to Ottawa, Canada on 3rd September to attend Commonwealth Summit.

Tofail Ahmed said to The Asian Age in an emotional tone that he was searching for Bangabandhu's memories in Belgrade while visiting the city.

Marshal Tito was a very close ally to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Both these decorated politicians played dynamic roles in founding the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Choudhury, Tofail Ahmed, Amir Hossain Amu and other Bangladeshi delegates as well as officials from Bangladesh Embassy in Belgrade placed floral wreaths on the tomb of Marshal Tito.

The Bangladeshi delegates talked about the development programs being implemented by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina while addressing the IPU conference.