Silchar-Sylhet mega festival to be held in October

A CORRESPONDENT

SILCHAR: The first ever International Silchar-Sylhet will be held in Silchar in the last part of October. The three-day mega event, beginning from October 29, aims at strengthening cultural, trade and commerce as well as economic bondage between two neighbouring countries.

Patronized by the Ministries of Culture of both the countries and organized by NGOs India Foundation and Friends of Bangladesh, the mega event will focus on setting up a visa office in Silchar and on starting Silchar-Sylhet-Dhaka air service. This was stated by Silchar MP Dr Rajdeep Roy and Major (Retired) Samsul Arefin, the chairman of Friends of Bangladesh.

Addressing a joint press briefing, Dr Roy and Major Arefin said, political bigwigs from the countries will grace the festival. The list of dignitaries includes Prof Jagdish Mukhi, Governor of Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, his Manipur and Meghalaya counterparts M Biren Singh and Conrad Sangma respectively, Union Ministers G Kishan Reddy, Sarbananda Sonowal and Pratima Bhowmik. Bangladeshi delegates will include Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen, his deputy Shahriar Alom, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, Deputy Cultural Minister K M Khalid, Deputy Education Minister Mohibul Hossain and Civil Aviation as well as Tourism Minister Mohammad Mehbub Ali. Literary and cultural personalities from both countries will also participate in the festival. There will be food courts with traditional Sylheti as well as various ethnic cuisines from the north east.

Arefin said, "India is celebrating its 75 th year of Independence and Bangladesh its 50th year of freedom. Further, the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was observed this year. In this significant backdrop, the two neighbouring countries endeavour to further strengthen ties in the field of trade and commerce as well as in the literary and cultural sectors will definitely yield great dividends."

Meanwhile, Shah Mohammad Tanvir Mansur, Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh, Guwahati informed that Dhaka had been considering the proposal for setting up an honorary consulate visa office at Silchar to boost up Silchar-Sylhet bus service. Tanvir Mansur, who was on a two-day visit to Barak Valley had discussion with the local traders as well as civil society members. On Sunday he met the exporters and importers of Karimganj.

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