149-member team to attend two-day Nadi Festival
JOWAI: A 149 member delegation from Bangladesh consisting of ministers, journalists and others arrived here in Tamabil, Dawki to attend the two days Nadi (river) festival in Shillong on Friday and Saturday.
The delegation includes Bangladesh Minister of Civil Aviation and Tourism, Rashed Khan Menon, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Syed Shariar Alam, and First Secretary, High Commission of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Kamruz Zaman, besides others.
High Commissioner of India in Bangladesh, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, and Joint Secretary, Bangladesh Myanmar Desk, Priya Ranganathan, also arrived with the Bangladesh delegation.
West Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioner Arun Kumar Kembhavi and the BSF DIG welcomed the delegates on their arrival at Tamabil, Dawki.
The BSF Jazz Band played their music to welcome the ministers and the diplomats.
Speaking to The Shillong Times, later, Bangladesh Minister of Civil Aviation and Tourism, Rashed Khan Menon, said he and other participants from Bangladesh will stress on the important of Tourism promotion and various developmental projects of both the neighbouring country.
“People from North East India particularly from Meghalaya should come to Bangladesh as we have many things to offer. We have beautiful rivers, beaches, forests and hills in Bangladesh,” he said.
He also added that the ‘Nadi Festival’ will forge closer relationship between people of both the countries and recognition of rivers in both countries will form a vital connect for friendly trade in order to boost the economy of the people living on both side of the border.
A cultural programme was organized in a school at Bakur Dawki by youths from Nongtalang and Sohkha.
It may be mentioned that the ‘Nadi Festival’ is being organized by the Asian Confluence, India, East Asia Centre, Shillong, in active collaboration with the Meghalaya government and the Maulana Abul Institute of Asian Studies.