West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arrived in Dhaka on Thursday evening on a three-day visit as Dhaka.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam and Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pankaj Saran received the West Bengal chief minister at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 8.50 pm.
Earlier, Shahriar Alam said that Dhaka hopes that the visit would help facilitate resolving the outstanding issues like Teesta water sharing and land boundary agreements between Bangladesh and India.The West Bengal chief minister has been visiting Bangladesh at the invitation of Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali to join the “Shaheed Dibash” and “International Mother Language Day” programmes on February 21 as a guest of honour.
During her visit, Mamata would pay homage to the Language Martyrs at the Central Shaheed Minar at the first hour of February 21 and would visit the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum to pay respect to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, according to a foreign ministry press release issued here on Tuesday.
She is also scheduled to call on President Md. Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and attend a High Tea to be hosted by Mahmood Ali.
Besides, she will address a “Business Meet” to be jointly organised by India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IBCCI), Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) and Indian Chambers of Commerce (ICC), Kolkata.
She will also attend a reception to be hosted in her honour by the high commissioner of India in Dhaka. Her other engagements would include interaction with eminent cultural personalities of Bangladesh and India.
This is Mamata Banerjee’s first visit to Bangladesh after taking office as the chief minister of West Bengal in May 2011.
The West Bengal chief minister’s entourage includes West Bengal ministers, eminent cultural, business and media personalities including famed singers Kabir Suman, Nachiketa and Indranil Sen, filmmaker Gautam Ghosh, poet Subodh Sarkar, and actor Arindam Sil. – BSS
