LAHORE - The centenary celebrations of All-India Muslim League veteran Nawab Saleem Ullah Khan will be jointly held in Pakistan and Bangladesh on January 16, 2015. The establishment of the Pakistan-Bangladesh Brotherhood Society will be brought about forthwith to bring the people of the two brotherly countries closer together.
These ideas were expressed by the Bangladesh Muslim League vice president, Dhaka Muslim League president and Nawab Sir Saleem Ullah Memorial Committee President Syed Nasrul Ahsan at a luncheon hosted in his honour at the Aiwan-i-Karkunan-i- Tehreek-i-Pakistan.
The event was held under the aegis of the Pakistan-Bangladesh Brotherhood Society and the attendees included the Nazaria-i-Pakistan Trust vice chairman Professor Dr Rafique Ahmad, Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors President Mujeebur Rehman Shami, Lt-Gen (r) Zulfiqar Ali Khan, Begum Mahnaz Rafi, Jamil Athar, Asar Chauhan, Dr Ajmal Niazmi, UK Nazaria-i-Pakistan forum president Malik Ghulam Rabbani Awan, Professor Dr Parveen Khan, Hafeez Ullah Niazi, Malik Hussain, Waleed Iqbal Advocate, Dr MA Sufi, Zulfiqar Rahat, Malik Muhammad Tufail, Asif Suhail and the Pakistan- Bangladesh Brotherhood Society secretary Shahid Rasheed.
Syed Nasrul Ahsan observed that very positive and cordial relations existed between the people of Bangladesh and Pakistan. He said that, after the 1971 tragedy, it was hard to work from the platform of the Muslim League in Bangladesh. Nonetheless, we will contest the next general elections from the same platform, he added. He observed that the Muslim League is the only party in the world that is operating in three countries Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.
He revealed that Pakistani singers, especially Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Atif Aslam were immensely popular among the Bangladeshi masses.
Earlier, Professor Dr Rafique Ahmad observed that, making a full admission of our omissions and shortcomings, we should make a new start with renewed aspirations and ambitions to promote our mutual relations. He called upon the government to provide maximum opportunities to Bangladeshi students to receive education in the higher education Pakistani institutions, generously granting scholarships for this purpose.
Jamil Athar observed that India was the greatest hurdle in the establishment of close relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh. We will have to devise ways and means and a solid strategy to counter the Indian influence in Bangladesh in order to establish warm and close relations with our Bangladeshi brethren, he added.
Asar Chauhan observed that both Pakistan and Bangladesh had registered remarkable progress in various fields, making it advisable for both to benefit from each other's experiences and to carry out joint projects for the welfare and well-being of their people.  
Dr Ajmal Niazi said that the bonds of love between the Pakistani and Bangladeshi people were simply unbreakable by India and its puppets. He suggested the govt to ensure exchange of delegations.
Greeting the honourable guest, the Pakistan-Bangladesh Brotherhood Society Secretary Shahid Rasheed observed that the former Nazaria-i-Pakistan Trust Chairman Dr Majid Nizami had established this society last year and it gave us satisfaction.
He said that the days commemorating the heroes of the Pakistan Movement including Maulvi AK Fazal Haque, Khawaja Nazim-ud-Din and Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy are observed with great zeal and solemnity in this Aiwan-i-Karkunan. Besides, the life and services of Nur-ul- Ameen, Mahmood Ali and Raja Tri Dev Roy are highlighted, too.