Greetings From Workers Party of Bangladesh

IT is a proud privilege for the delegation of the Workers Party of Bangladesh to attend the 17th congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). I, on behalf of the Central Committee of the Workers Party of Bangladesh, express our heartfelt thanks to Comrade Harkishan Singh Surjeet, general secretary of the CPI(M), and the leadership of the party for inviting us to this congress and providing us the opportunity to share experiences and exchange views with them and other foreign fraternal parties. It is important for us particularly because we belong to the same subcontinent, share a common history of struggle against British imperialist subjugation and for emancipation of our people under the leadership of the Communist Party founded in British India. We belong to the same communist movement and the relation between our two parties is long-standing and tested by time. We remember with gratitude the support and help given to us by the CPI(M) in our difficulties, particularly during our struggle for independence against the Pakistani occupation army in 1971. We much value this friendship and hope that this would grow further as we are to go a long way to see our subcontinent free from imperialist domination, the threat of war and fratricidal fight among religions and ethnic communities.

Besides the general onslaught of imperialist globalisation that has caused great hardship for the people of the third world countries and ruination of agriculture, industry and environment, US imperialism has already made deep inroad in the subcontinent through military cooperation, training and programmes. Bangladesh, a small nation, has become the target of US military plan in the region and is being constantly pressured to sign SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) so that the US military personnel and arms can move without any hindrance. The government has signed agreements regarding gas fields with the multinationals, highly detrimental to our national interest, only to allow them to plunder our national gas resources. There is also a plan to hand over our Chittagong sea port to a US company. The Bangladesh government has already scrapped the decision to hold the non-aligned summit in Dhaka, declaring NAM as a dead horse.

Communalism that caused so many tragedies in the past has raised its ugly head both in India and Bangladesh. The recent communal violence in Gujarat in India and post-election communal atrocities in some areas of Bangladesh created tension causing great harm to the peoples of our two neighbouring countries. It could have caused further harm if it were allowed to go without resistance. The CPI(M) and other Left and democratic forces of India stood against the communal designs and upheld the principle of secularism firmly. We are happy that, under the leadership of the CPI(M), Indian people are making great advances in the struggle against imperialism and communalism. These struggles of the peoples of the countries of the subcontinent are to be coordinated and further strengthened.

Comrades,

The CPI(M) is one of the largest working class parties of the world, that has a brilliant record of fighting for independence, of advancing the causes of working class and other toiling class and oppressed masses, for a people’s democratic revolution in India. The CPI(M) always upheld the banner of socialism and waged battle against revisionism and other forms of deviations in the 1960s. And now it is still continuing the ideological struggle against modern anti-communist, revisionist and liquidationist ideas that are being presented in new forms. In its long history, the CPI(M) has produced great theoreticians and communist revolutionaries whose works and struggling life still inspire comrades in Bangladesh.

Comrades,

After the temporary setback suffered by the international communist movement in the last part of the last century, the people of the world have already started fighting back. The struggle against imperialist globalisation is sweeping through all the continents from Seattle to Bangkok to Genoa. The CPI(M) is leading Indian working class and people in our common struggles against imperialism and imperialist globalisation. These struggles are to be united so that the offensive of the imperialist forces can be successfully thwarted.

It is urgently needed that the relation between the working class parties and all the anti-imperialist forces of the world should be further deepened. The congress of the CPI(M) would definitely advance the causes of the struggling people of the world and help in achieving socialism, peace and justice for all.

Let me convey the greetings of the Workers Party of Bangladesh to all the delegates of the congress and to all members of the CPI(M).

Success to seventeenth congress of CPI(M)!

Long live the friendship between the Workers Party of Bangladesh and the CPI(M)!

Long live Marxism-Leninism!

Long live proletarian internationalism!