Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sent Haribhanga mangoes, hilsa and sweets as a gift to Dr Manik Saha, chief minister of the Indian state of Tripura. The gifts for the Tripura chief minister were sent through Akhaura land port in Brahmanbaria at around noon on Thursday (27 June).

At the border zero line, the gifts were received on behalf of Bangladesh by Rezaul Haque Chowdhury, first secretary at Bangladesh's Assistant High Commission in Tripura, and Al Amin.

The gifts totalled 500 kg: 400 kg of Haribhanga mangoes in 20 cartons, 50 kg of hilsa and 50 kg of sweets.

Present at the zero line during the handover were Akhaura upazila assistant commissioner (land) SM Rahatul Islam, revenue officer Abdul Kaiyum Talukder, land port assistant director Mahmudul Hasan Bappi, immigration in-charge Md Khairul Alam, havildar Md Ruhul Amin of 60 BGB ICP and Agartala customs superintendent Dibyendu Bhowmik.

Rezaul Haque, first secretary at the Assistant High Commission, said: "Today is a happy day. Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sent mangoes, hilsa and sweets as a gift for the chief minister of Tripura. The relationship between Bangladesh and Tripura has maintained empathy and coexistence since before 1971. This will further strengthen the deep relationship between India and Bangladesh and make it firmer with Tripura too. We will hand these gifts from the prime minister to the chief minister of Tripura."

Earlier, on Sunday (23 June), Tripura chief minister Dr Manik Saha sent 700 pieces (500 kg) of Tripura's famous Kew variety pineapples in 100 cartons as a gift for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

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