A special mango festival titled "Bangladesh Mango Delicacy" was held on Sunday, 26 July, at the Utsav banquet hall next to the Bangladesh Embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal. The festival presented Bangladesh's rich mango heritage, distinctive quality and varied flavours, and highlighted the country's growing potential to export fresh fruit and value-added processed farm products.

SAARC Secretariat Secretary General Ambassador Md Golam Sarwar was chief guest. Gahendra Rajbhandari, joint secretary of the South Asia division of Nepal's foreign ministry, attended as special guest on behalf of Nepal's foreign secretary.

Diplomats from various countries, senior Nepal government officials, business representatives, leading importers, journalists and other invited guests also attended.

In his welcome speech, Bangladesh Ambassador Md Shafiqur Rahman described Bangladesh's recent progress in agriculture and agro-based industry. He said that in Bangladesh the mango is not just a fruit but an inseparable part of the culture, heritage, agriculture and way of life. Referring to episodes from Mughal history, he said fertile alluvial soil and a favourable climate make Bangladesh one of the world's finest mango producers.

He said Bangladesh's mango varieties, including Khirsapat, Haribhanga, Langra, Fazli, Gopalbhog, Amrapali, Ashwina, Banana Mango, Katimon, Gourmoti and BARI mangoes, are appreciated worldwide for their sweetness, unique aroma, high quality and nutritional value.

The ambassador added that Bangladeshi scientists and researchers have contributed significantly to mango research by developing new BARI varieties that bear fruit late, after the main season, and by successfully adapting some foreign varieties. Praising the private sector, he said Bangladesh's mango processing industry is already producing juice, nectar, pulp, jam, pickles, chutney, dried mango, candy, fruit bars, desserts and other value-added products of international standard.

Referring to the mango heritage and flavours of different South Asian countries, SAARC Secretary General Md Golam Sarwar said that despite huge potential, exports of mangoes and mango products from the region have not yet reached the expected level. He congratulated the embassy on the initiative and called for stronger cooperation among SAARC countries in agriculture.

Nepal's joint secretary Gahendra Rajbhandari thanked the embassy for the exceptional event. He said it reflected not only Bangladesh's warmth and hospitality but would also play an important role in building bridges between the people of the two friendly countries in various fields. He praised Ambassador Md Shafiqur Rahman's mango diplomacy initiative and stressed continuing such activities to strengthen mutual goodwill and friendship in the current global context.

The exhibition displayed fresh mangoes of various Bangladeshi varieties along with a wide range of processed mango products. Guests had the chance to get to know the taste, variety and cuisine of Bangladeshi mangoes, and visitors from different walks of life gained new insights into Bangladesh's progress in modern horticulture, sustainable agriculture and food processing technology.

Rafiqul Islam, a successful Bangladeshi mango grower, shared his 15 years of experience in mango farming. He presented the methods he uses to produce safe, quality mangoes by following Good Agricultural Practices under the supervision of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), along with his own practical experience.

Late-season mango varieties from Rajshahi, such as Fazli, Amrapali, BARI-4, Katimon, Gourmoti and Ashwina, were displayed. Various brands of Bangladeshi mango juice, pickles, fruit bars, dried mango, chutney, jam and jelly were also shown. Guests were served mango cake, mango sticky rice, mango pudding and other mango desserts, and documentaries on mango farming in Bangladesh, the country's culture, tourism and Beautiful Bangladesh were screened.

The festival was described not only as a celebration of Bangladesh's agricultural success but also as an important step towards stronger economic cooperation between Bangladesh and Nepal. It generated fresh interest among Nepali consumers in Bangladeshi mangoes and mango products and opened the way to expanding bilateral trade in farm and food products through partnerships between exporters and importers of the two countries. Guests praised the taste, quality and variety of Bangladeshi mangoes.

The embassy reiterated its commitment to expanding trade, investment and cultural exchange between Bangladesh and Nepal, and expressed hope that initiatives like Bangladesh Mango Delicacy will further strengthen the long friendship and mutually beneficial partnership between the two countries.

About 250 guests attended, and the event ended with traditional Bangladeshi food for the guests.

Md Kamrul Islam Bhuiyan, public relations officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, gave the information, citing a press release from the Bangladesh Embassy in Nepal.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.