In a rare gesture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the mazar or mausoleum of ‘Bangabandhu’ Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Tungipara of Gopalganj district during his March 26-27 visit to Bangladesh, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla announced here on Wednesday. The Foreign Secretary described the upcoming visit as a ‘milestone’ in India-Bangladesh relations and said New Delhi was engaged with Bangladesh and Myanmar to avoid refugee “outflow” that could impact India.
“The visit comes at a momentous time in our bilateral ties. Bangladesh is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its liberation war. India had lent its full support to this noble cause in which Indian soldiers also sacrificed their lives. India was the first country to recognise Bangladesh in December 1971. Both countries are celebrating 50 years of establishing diplomatic ties,” said Mr. Shringla, laying down the special context of the visit. Mr. Modi would interact with community leaders, and with the former guerilla fighters during the visit.
The Prime Minister will participate in the centenary celebrations of Sheikh Mujib upon his arrival in Dhaka where he will also deliver a speech. He will hold bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The visit to Gopalganj is symbolically significant as it is the first time that an Indian leader will pay tributes to Bangabandhu at his grave which was neglected during the military rule of the 1980s in Bangladesh.
Major destination
The mazar of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has been developed by the Government of Bangladesh in the last two decades as a major destination for visitors to the country. The mausoleum contains the grave of Sheikh Mujib and his parents, Sheikh Lutfar Rahman and Saira Khatun. Sheikh Mujib was buried at his ancestral estate at Tungipara near Dhaka after he was assassinated on August 15, 1975 in a military takeover.
Gopalganj will be in focus also for the visit by Mr. Modi to the Thakurbari at Orakandi, the heartland of the Matua Hindus who constitute a sizeable community in both Bangladesh and West Bengal, where they are expected to play an important role in the coming Assembly elections.
Mr. Shringla announced that a wide range of events were being planned to commemorate the centenary of Sheikh Mujib, the 50th anniversary of the liberation war of 1971 and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Bangladesh. He said the Bangabandhu-Bapu digital exhibition would be taken to 18 countries by India and Bangladesh and the show would also travel to the United Nations.
Mr. Modi and Sheikh Hasina will attend a concert on March 26 evening where Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty will perform live with his musical team from Kolkata. The classical singer will call on Mr. Modi during his stay in Dhaka.
Mr. Chakraborty will hold a workshop for musicians and singers at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on March 28. India is expected to hand over a number of ambulances to Dhaka during the visit.
Sustainable repatriation
Mr. Shringla acknowledged the role of Bangladesh in hosting more than a million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar and maintained that India supported sustainable repatriation of the “displaced persons to the Rakhine state of Myanmar.”
“India is the only country that shares a common border with both Myanmar and Bangladesh. We do understand that the impact of any refugee outflow will come on us ultimately as an immediate neighbour and we have been engaged with both Bangladesh and Myanmar,” said Mr. Shringla in a comment which indirectly dealt with the recent incidents of inflow of people through Mizoram border following the military crackdown in Myanmar.
