Mamata Banerjee in Dhaka

Staff Correspondent: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reached Dhaka on Thursday night to join the Language Day celebrations.
 
The West Bengal Chief Minister arrived at Shahjalal International Airport around 9.00 pm.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam received Mamata at the airport. Indian High Commissioner Pankaj Saran was also present, among other officials, at the airport.

This is the first visit of Mamata to Bangladesh after taking her office as the chief minister of West Bengal in May 2011.

Mamata Banerjee will call on President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.  She is scheduled to attend the celebration of February 21 at the Central Shaheed Minar to pay homage to the martyrs of the language movement.

Mamata Banerjee is accompanied by a team comprising Ministers, MPs, officials, businessmen and a cultural delegation, has been invited by Foreign Minister A.H. Mahmood Ali.

Banerjee on Wednesday had said that her visit at the invitation of Bangladesh government would strengthen the ties between Bangladesh and West Bengal.

"This visit will strengthen the ties between Bangladesh and West Bengal", she said.

"There should be stronger cultural ties between the two Bengals. Hope this trip will make our bond stronger", she said.

risingbd/ Feb 20, 2015/ Rafiq/ Mukul