GUWAHATI: People-to-people contacts between Bangladesh and Northeast India are set for a major boost with the two countries laying emphasis on cultural and literary exchanges in a big way, of late.
A literary delegation from the neighbouring country is also scheduled to take part in the biennial conference of Asam Sahitya Sabha this year.
For a start, as many as 12 publishing houses from Bangladesh had for the first time taken part together at the 32nd Guwahati Book Fair, which concluded on Wednesday.
“The response for a start has been good. Cultural and literary exchanges will help enhance people-to-people contact. Literature for that matter is the basis of soul-to-soul and heart-to-heart connect and with the language between some states of Eastern India not too different with Bangladesh, a little effort will surely help readers understand the values and inner substance of prominent writers,” Shah Mohammad Tanvir Monsur, Bangladesh assistant high commissioner to India here told The Shillong Times on Wednesday.
Earlier, only one or two publishers had taken part in book fairs here.
“We are working hard and have discussed with the Publication Board Assam (the organisers of the book fair) if more publishers from Bangladesh could take part in the next edition. Discussions on literature will also be arranged in the coming months while a literary delegation, also comprising writers from Dhaka University and Bangla Academy of Bangladesh, will take part in the biennial conference of the Asam Sahitya Sabha next month,” Monsur said.
The Bangladesh envoy felt that such literary exchanges would have a spillover effect in the political and economic fields.
“Many air and river connectivity projects between the two countries are already under way, which will also improve economic ties. Hopefully we will see a few flights connecting Guwahati with Dhaka in the coming months,” he said.