‘Tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki must never be repeated’

The tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki must never be repeated, said Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ito Naoki in a message today that marks the 75th anniversary of the tragedy in Hiroshima.

The United States detonated two nuclear weapons over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945, the final year of World War II, respectively, killing between 129,000 and 226,000 people.

"As the only country that has experienced the horror of nuclear weapon, Japan has a mission to work closely with other countries and citizens towards the realisation of a world free of nuclear weapons," said Ito Naoki in a message sent out on the historic day.

He recalled that when he came to Bangladesh last year, it was a surprise for him to learn that so many Bangladeshis knew about the Hiroshima and Nagasaki tragedies.

"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," he said.  

Also, many Bangladeshi people have been commemorating August 6 as "Hiroshima Day" over decades, the Japanese envoy said. 

He said the compassion that the citizens of Bangladesh have shown for the tragedies in Japan meant a lot to them. "Thus, this `Hiroshima Day` in Bangladesh is significant for our long-standing partnership.

"I hope this day will keep inspiring people, especially the younger generations, to become aware of the atomic bombing tragedies and the importance of peace," he said.

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, Naoki said. 

He expressed his sincere condolences for the loss of a great number of atomic bomb victims.

Appreciating Bangladeshi people who have also expressed strong views for peace of the world, Ito Naoki said, "I hope that we, the people of Japan and Bangladesh, stand together to make this world more peaceful and harmonious for all."