KOLKATA: Mango diplomacy has been a part of SAARC diplomacy for a long time. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru used to give mangoes to foreign delegates. In 1981, former president Zia Ul Haq sent a box of Anwar Rataul mangoes to former PM Indira Gandhi. Pakistan’s former PM, Nawaz Sharif, had also sent mangoes to PM Narendra Modi in 2015.
“This is the second year in a row that PM Hasina has sent mangoes to CM Banerjee,” said an official of Bangladesh deputy high commission in Kolkata. “The entire world was recovering from Covid last year. She thought of sending a message of goodwill to each head of SAARC nations,” he added.
“This is a fine gesture by PM Hasina,” said Tareq Karim, former Bangladesh high commissioner to India. “If they (mangoes) help strengthen ties and add sweetness to the relations between two countries, that is more than welcome.”
The gift arrived days before Sheikh Hasina is to inaugurate the 6.15km Padma Multipurpose Bridge. The bridge is likely to significantly boost trade and tourism.
