Mamata meets B’desh envoy; calls for deepening historic Indo-Bangla ties

Kolkata: Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday met Bangladesh High Commissioner to India, Riaz Hamidullah, at her office in Nabanna and expressed optimism about deepening the longstanding ties between the people of Bengal and Bangladesh.

Chief Secretary Manoj Pant was also present during the meeting.

Banerjee emphasised that the bond between the people of Bengal and Bangladesh extends far beyond economics or trade.

She also highlighted that the shared language, culture and values create a deep emotional connection, one that is timeless and enduring.

It is learnt that Banerjee also reaffirmed her commitment to maintaining close communication with Bangladesh in the days to come, underscoring the importance of continued people-to-people contact between the two neighbouring countries.

The meeting comes just days after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the Centre to engage with the Bangladesh government to investigate the recent vandalism at the historic Kachari House—also known as Rabindra Kachharibari—in Shahzadpur, Sirajganj.

The site, once the ancestral home and revenue office of the Tagore family, holds deep cultural significance. According to Nabanna sources, the issue of the mob attack on the property was raised during the meeting.

Banerjee in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sought his intervention for “a strong international protest” which she said: “Would at least deter in future any attack on monuments of cultural legacies.”

It is learnt that Banerjee was informed that the vandalism stemmed from a breakdown in law and order arising out of a personal dispute, and was not connected to any religious tensions.

According to sources, the Bangladesh government raised a proposal to conduct a joint environmental and biodiversity survey between the two nations, focusing on their shared ecosystems.

The meeting was held in a warm and cordial atmosphere and marked the first official interaction between the newly appointed High Commissioner of Bangladesh and an Indian Chief Minister.

During the courtesy call, Banerjee conveyed her greetings to Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor, Professor Dr. Yunus and extended her best wishes to the people of Bangladesh through the visiting envoy. Bangladeshi sweets were handed over to the Chief Minister.

Riaz accompanied by Bangladesh Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata, Shikdar Mohammad Ashraful Rahman reached Nabanna at 5 pm.

The last time Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met with a Bangladeshi envoy was in June 2016, when Syed Muazzem Ali, the then Bangladesh High Commissioner to India, held a meeting with her.