Mamata Banerjee’s trip to Dhaka will be a star-studded affair as she will be accompanied by Trinamool MPs Dev and Moon Moon Sen, along with former party MP Kabir Suman.
Even, actor Prosenjit Chatterjee is likely to be in her entourage. Singer Nachiketa, filmmaker Gautam Ghosh, poet Subodh Sarkar, singer Indranil Sen and actor Arindam Sil will also accompany the chief minister.
Earlier in September 2011, Mamata had cancelled her trip to Dhaka accompanying Manmohan Singh, as she had claimed that Teesta water sharing would not protect the interest of Bengal. The Teesta pact could not be inked at that time. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is giving much priority to Dhaka now and foreign minister Sushma Swaraj has already visited Dhaka.
Now, it seems that Mamata is willing to share Teesta water, as Bangladesh wants an equal water sharing of 40:40.
Bangladesh officials said they have information that Mamata will discuss the Teesta water sharing with Sheikh Hasina, the Bangladesh prime minister. The exchange of enclaves, too, will be discussed during the CM’s three-day trip that will start on Thursday.
Mamata will be the chief guest at the Bhasa Divas programme on February 21, which has been recognized as the International Mother Language Day by UNESCO to promote awareness on linguistics and cultural diversity and multilingualism.
Though Mamata will reach Bangladesh on Thursday, she will start attending the events from Friday when she will be visiting Nazrul Institute and Banga Bandhu Sheikh Mujibur Memorial. The Bengal chief minister may also visit the Parliament in Dhaka.
Businessmen from the city, like Harsh Neotia, J P Choudhury and Sanjay Budhia, are travelling with the CM and will accompany her to a meeting with Bangla business honchos. The meeting is being organized by the Indo-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Indian Chamber of Commerce.
Meanwhile, Bangladeshi author in exile, Taslima Nasrin who is now in Delhi, criticized Mamata’s visit on Facebook. Taslima said: “Mamata should not be allowed to pay tribute at Shaheed Minar, as she is a supporter of Jamaat operatives.” Taslima also criticized Kabir Suman accompanying Mamata, dubbing him as an “opportunist and pro-fundamentalist”
Source: Prothom Alo
