Kolkata: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had a 45-minute closed-door meeting on Saturday holding discussions on wide-ranging topics including education, business and culture.
"We discussed our education, culture, business for the well-being of the people of both the countries. We share a very cordial relationship and as far as I understand, there is no political boundary between the two nations. We love each other and whenever we have to, we interact with each other openly," Banerjee said after the talks at a South Kolkata star hotel where Sheikh Hasina was staying.
Speaking on a museum being set up in the city in memory of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, she said: "They have a space on Theatre Road which is under Aurobindo Bhavan. They want to restore it and work for it can be taken on the basis of discussions between the two countries."
It is learnt that Banerjee had urged Hasina to visit Bengal again. "They can come here anytime they wish to and we will also go there so that the good relationship is further strengthened," Banerjee said.
Wishing prosperity for Bangladesh, she maintained that her relationship with Hasina is at the personal level that has been there for a very long time even when she was the Leader of Opposition in Bangladesh. "I know all her family members and our relationship will continue to grow," she said. She expressed her gratitude to Hasina for accepting the D.Litt award that was conferred to her by Kazi Nazrul University earlier in the day. "We had wished to honour her and she had made us proud by accepting it," she added.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Prime Minister also visited Netaji Bhawan in Kolkata. "Had there not been the armed struggle by Netaji Subhas Bose, India would not have achieved independence," she said after her first visit to Netaji Bhawan. "The liberation war of Bangladesh was also inspired by Netaji's freedom movement. And this I came to know from our great leader Banga Bandhu's tapes. I am grateful to my sister Rehana who insisted on visiting Netaji Bhawan together," she added.