PM Modi, Sheikh Hasina to attend Visva-Bharati event

Santiniketan: The stage is set for the historic 49th convocation of the Visva-Bharati University which will be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina on Friday, varsity officials said on Thursday.

Mr Modi, who is the “charya” or Chancellor of the Central university, will inaugurate the “Bangladesh Bhavan” — a “symbol of cultural ties between India and Bangladesh” - with Hasina and hold a bilateral meeting there, they said.

Multi-layer security arrangements have been put into place in Santiniketan, which is situated in Bolpur sub-division of West Bengal’s Birbhum district, the police said.

This would be Mr Modi’s maiden visit to the varsity after becoming the prime minister. The last time a chancellor was present at a convocation at Visva-Bharati, which was founded by Rabindra Nath Tagore, was in 2008 when Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister.

This will the first convocation of the Central university in five years, Sabujkali Sen, the officiating vice-chancellor of Visva-Bharati, said.

Apart from Mr Modi and Ms Hasina, governor K.N. Tripathi and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee will also attend the convocation programme.

According to Mr Sen, this will be for the first time in four decades that the chief minister of Bengal will be present at a convocation programme. The last chief minister to have attended a convocation was Siddhartha Shankar Ray. “Mamata Banerjee will be the first chief minister to share the dais with the acharya and other dignitaries during the convocation programme,” Mr Sen said.

Ms Hasina will arrive in Kolkata on the morning of May 25 and then leave for Santiniketan, about 160 km from the city, sources at the Bangladesh deputy high commission said.

After the meeting with Hasina, Mr Modi will travel to Jharkhand where he will lay the foundation stone of various projects of Central and state governments at an event in Sindri. The projects include revival of Sindri Fertiliser Project of Hindustan Urvarak and Rasayan Ltd, Ranchi City Gas Distribution Project by GAIL, AIIMS, Deoghar, development of Deoghar airport and Patratu super thermal power project of 3x800 MW capacity, an official statement said in Delhi.   

Mr Modi will also witness the exchange of MoUs for ‘jan aushadhi kendras’ and later address the gathering.In Ranchi, the Prime Minister will interact with the district collectors of “aspirational” districts of Jharkhand.

Ms Hasina will visit Kazi Nazrul University in Asansol in West Burdwan district where she will be conferred with an honorary D.Lit on May 26.