Japanese Ambassador’s message for Bangladeshi people on Hiroshima Day

As tomorrow marks the 75th anniversary of the tragedy in Hiroshima, the day when the atomic bomb was dropped on the city in 1945, Japanese Ambassador ITO Naoki shared his message for peace with the people of Bangladesh.

Here are his full messages

When I came to Bangladesh last year, it was a delightful surprise for me to learn that so many Bangladeshi people know about the tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I realised that the stories of the atomic bombings during World War II and even SASAKI Sadako's paper cranes are on the textbooks, which Bangladeshi students study in elementary schools. Also, many Bangladeshi people have been commemorating the tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6  as `Hiroshima Day' over decades.  That compassion the citizens of Bangladesh showed to the tragedies in Japan means a lot to us. Thus this `Hiroshima Day` in Bangladesh is significant for our long-standing partnership.

I hope this day August 6 will keep inspiring people, especially young generations, to become aware of the atomic bombing tragedies and the importance of peace.  As humanitarian crises and pandemics spread across national borders, and armed conflicts do not cease to occur, it seems that it is becoming more and more important to think and share thoughts about peace together across our global community. 

Today, I reverently express my sincere condolences to the souls of the great number of atomic bomb victims. It is inscribed on the monument for atomic bomb victims in Hiroshima that "Let all the souls here rest in peace, for we shall not repeat the evil". The tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki must never be repeated. As the only country that has experienced the horror of nuclear weapons, Japan has a mission to work closely with other countries and citizens toward the realisation of a world free of nuclear weapons.

It has been 75 years since the atomic bombs were dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As the number of the survivors are getting fewer each year, it is all the more important for all of us to remember the tragedies and pass the lessons we have learned on to the future generations. 

I truly appreciate Bangladeshi people who have shown sympathy to the victims and expressed strong views for peace of the world. I hope that we, people of Japan and Bangladesh, stand together to make this world more peaceful and harmonious for all.