Bangabandhu-gifted stuffed tiger head handed over to Tokyo Mission
Itll continue to bear testimony of Dhaka-Tokyo strong ties, Shahriar
UNB
The stuffed tiger head, gifted by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to Takashi Hayakawa back in 1973, has been handed over to the Bangladesh Embassy in Tokyo for future preservation, reports UNB. Osamu Hayakawa, the son of late Takashi Hayakawa, handed over it to the Bangladesh Mission in Tokyo on Wednesday in presence of Sate Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam. During his official visit to Japan on October 18, 1973, then Prime Minister Bangabandhu gifted the stuffed tiger head to Takashi Hayakawa, the then Member of the Diet and the President of Japan Bangladesh Friendship Association, the Foreign Ministry said here on Thursday. President of Japan-Bangladesh Society and former Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Matsushiro Horiguchi and representatives from the government of Japan and members of Japan-Bangladesh Society were also present. The State Minister said the tiger head will continue to bear the testimony to the foundation of strong ties laid by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and late Takashi Hayakawa. He also hoped the strong ties will grow even stronger in the days ahead. At the end of the programme, Bangladesh Ambassador in Tokyo Rabab Fatima thanked the Hayakawa family for handing over the tiger head to the Embassy. She also thanked the guests for attending the program.
It was presented as a symbol of friendship between Bangladesh and Japan,
Royal Bengal Tiger, the national animal of Bangladesh used as a symbol of the spirit of Bangladesh.
Takashi Hayakawa played a pivotal role in garnering the support and recognition of the people and government of Japan for the newly independent Bangladesh.
He also visited the war torn Bangladesh to assess the need for Japanese assistance to Bangladesh.
