PM may go to Tripura to receive doctorate
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina may visit Tripura this year to receive an honorary doctorate from Tripura University, official sources said yesterday.
"The prime minister is expected to visit Tripura to receive an honorary doctorate later this year, but the programme is yet to be finalised," said Prime Minister's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad.
Tripura University has also invited Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to attend its ninth convocation when the honorary degree will be conferred on Hasina, said the sources. It was not immediately known if Manmohan will come.
The university has already sent a letter of invitation to Hasina for the first-ever visit by a Bangladeshi prime minister to the northeastern Indian state.
Industries and commerce minister of Tripura, Jitendra Chaudhury, told The Daily Star yesterday that Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, who visited Dhaka with the Indian premier first week of this month, also invited Hasina to visit his state.
In Dhaka, foreign ministry sources said Tripura Governor DY Patil, who recently visited the Bangladesh capital, also extended an invitation to the prime minister.
They said the visit may take place in November or December.
Quoting Manik Sarkar, Indian media yesterday reported that Hasina is keen to visit Tripura and that Tripura University is now in consultation with the Indian and Bangladesh governments to finalise the schedule.
Agartala, the capital of Tripura, expects Hasina's visit would help boost trade and economic relations between the northeastern state and its closest neighbour Bangladesh.
Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on its three sides. The bilateral trade favours Bangladesh as its exports there are worth Tk 257 crore and imports Rs 1 crore.
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