Sonia Gandhi praises  Bangabandhu as the leader of a free people

Sonia Gandhi, president of India's opposition Congress party, has paid a rich tribute to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman recalling how he emerged as the
leader of a free people.
In a video message broadcast at the celebrations of Bangabandhu's birth centenary and the golden jubilee of Bangladesh in Dhaka, she also remembered the role played by Indira Gandhi, then prime minister of India, in Bangladesh's independence.
"We in India have always had a special relationship with the people of Bangladesh. This has been in very large measure because of the role Indira Gandhi played in the historic events of 1971 and the deep bonds of mutual respect, admiration and the friendship that Bangabandhu and she established," she said.