Vice-President Hamid Ansari arrives in B'desh

Nilesh Bhagat
Dhaka, May 5 (PTI) India's Vice-President Hamid Ansari
arrived here on Thursday to represent India in the joint
celebrations to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Nobel
laureate Rabindranath Tagore, an event which will be marked by
a series of cultural events in Bangladesh.
Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur
and two Members of the Indian Parliament - O P Mathur of
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Moinul Hassan of Communist
Party of India (Marxist)- are accompanying the Vice-President.
The Vice-President was received at the Shahjalal
International Airport by Foreign Minister Dipu Moni.
During the state visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina in January last year, the two sides had agreed
to oversee the joint celebrations together.
Ansari's visit is the first visit to Bangladesh by a
senior Indian leader after Hasina visited India last year.
The celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of
Tagore will begin at the Bangabandhu International Convention
Centre on Friday where various troupes will present a series
of cultural programmes, including short dramas and music
shows.
On Thursday, Ansari is expected to call on Bangladesh
President Md Zillur Rahman and hold meetings with Prime
Minister Hasina and Foreign Minister Moni.
Leader of the Opposition Khalida Zia will also call on
the Vice-President.
Ansari will also visit the the National Mausoleum at
Savar and the Bangabandhu Museum on Thursday. The Bangabandhu
Museum is the house of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
It contains rare collection of personal effects and
photographs of his lifetime.
Bangladesh Planning Minister A K Khandker will attend
the inauguration of the Nobel Laureate's 150th birth
anniversary in India on Sunday