The resolution noted that the United States recognized Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan on April 4, 1972, after a nine-month-long struggle for democracy and freedom led by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. During the Bangladesh Liberation War, members of the Pakistan Armed Forces and pro-Pakistani militias killed hundreds of thousands of people and injured many more, it added.
The resolution highlighted that Bangladesh has made remarkable strides in the last five decades, with its economy growing from $9 billion to $450 billion since its independence in 1971. Bangladesh now has one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, with the GDP per capita increasing to $2,457 in 2021, which exceeds that of its regional neighbors.
Moreover, the resolution noted that Bangladesh has made significant progress in food production, disaster resilience, poverty reduction, improved health, education, and women’s empowerment under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. It also mentioned that Bangladesh has successfully maintained a moderate Muslim society and curbed extremism in the country, with the people seeking to maintain support for democracy and the rule of law.
The resolution expressed appreciation for Bangladesh’s role in accepting and sheltering more than one million Rohingya people from Myanmar and commended the nation for being one of the world’s largest contributors to the United Nations’ peacekeeping efforts globally. It also recognized the gratitude expressed by Bangladesh for the United States’ contribution of more than 100 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to the people of Bangladesh.
