The Bangladeshi ambassador praised his country’s ties with Korea while celebrating its national day.

Shahidul Islam marked the 41st anniversary of Bangladeshi Independence with a reception in Seoul on Thursday, where he paid respects to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who proclaimed the independence of Bangladesh in 1971.

“We pay our humble tribute to the 3 million martyrs of the War of Liberation,” he added. “We pay our deepest homage to the valiant freedom fighters who gave their life so that we as a nation could live in freedom, with dignity and honor.”

Islam also praised diplomatic relations between Korea and Bangladesh, saying: “Bilaterally, our two countries maintain active cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, development cooperation and technology transfer, employment and human resource development, education and cultural exchange.”

As well as Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit here in 2010, many Korean companies are investing in large infrastructure development projects in the South Asian nation. They are constructing roads, setting up power plants, and exploring for oil and gas.

“Korean companies have also set up production units in Bangladesh which in turn is creating employment for our people,” the ambassador told diplomats gathered to celebrate the national day.

About 7,000 workers from Bangladesh have found work in Korea under the Employment Permit System and there are more than 500 Bangladeshi students here.

The national day event was also attended by Korea’s Vice Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Gi-gwon, Kim Choong-whan, chairman of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs, Trade and Unification Committee, and Park Hae-yun, director general of the Foreign Ministry’s South Asia and Pacific Affairs Bureau.