Pranab at in-laws' house in Narail

It was a special day for the people of Narail yesterday, as they had Indian President Pranab Mukherjee among them.
For Pranab, it was his first ever visit to his father-in-law's house at Bhadrabila under Sadar upazila of the district.
During the last day of his three-day visit, the Indian president also visited Bharateswari Homes and Kumudini Hospital at Mirzapur in Tangail and Shilaidaha Kuthibari in Kushtia.
He along with his wife Shuvra Mukherjee reached Narail on a helicopter around 11:00am, reports our correspondent.
A 23-member delegation also came with the Indian president in another helicopter.
Pankaj Saran, Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh, Debariti Mitra, presidential guest, Ruchira Kamboj, chief of protocol of the president, SK Abu Baker,
MP, among others, were with them.
As Pranab arrived in Narail, Deputy Commissioner Zohirul Haque greeted him and they went straight to the Indian president's in-laws' house on the bank of the Chitra river.
“We received dadababu [husband of elder sister] with uuluddhani and mangal pradip as he came in with our [cousin] sister Shuvradi,” reports BSS quoting a cousin of Shuvra Mukherjee.
Witnesses said the in-laws offered a gold chain to their “dadababu” as a gift and a saree to their “didi” [first lady] during the couple's brief trip when they also visited a nearby Hindu temple and offered prayers, the BSS adds.
Enthusiastic relatives entertained them with coconut water and Bengali traditional sweetmeats, while a makeshift stage was erected on the premises of the household for their exclusive family reception.
Shuvra was born to late Amarendro Ghose and Mira Rani Ghose on October 17, 1943. She is the eldest among four brothers and four sisters. All members of Shuvra's family except her brother Kanai Lal Ghose moved to India in 1952, adds our Narail correspondent.
TANGAIL
Pranab also visited Bharateswari Homes and Kumudini Hospital -- establishments belong to the Kumudini Welfare Trust founded by philanthropist Ranada Prosad Saha, also known as RP Saha.
The students and teachers of Bharateswari Homes and family members of RP Saha received the Indian president with flowers when the helicopter carrying him landed at a ground adjacent to the Kumudini Complex around 2:30pm, reports our Tangail correspondent.
The students of the residential institution, which was established in 1944, performed a spectacular acrobatic display in honour of the Indian president.
Pranab said he could foresee the bright future of Bangladesh in the students of the institution.
Appreciating the performance, he said the education and training the students were receiving from the institution would help them prepare themselves as proud and worthy citizens of their motherland.
“You will be the architect of the new Bangladesh.”
Remembering RP Saha, Pranab said the great man established the institution [Homes] to spread female education and also established Kumudini Hospital to provide free healthcare to the poor, especially the women.
“But it is pitiable that he along with his son was abducted during the blood shedding days of the Liberation War in Bangladesh in 1971. Though no specific information was available, we could guess what had happened to them,” he added.
He also laid the foundation stone of the joint waste management system funded by the Indian government inside the Kumudini Complex.
Foreign Affairs Minister Dipu Moni, lawmaker of Tangail-7 Ekabbar Hossain, Razib Prosad Saha, managing director of KWT, among others, were present.
KUSHTIA
Pranab and Shuvra also visited Shilaidaha Kuthibari, where the Tagore Memorial Museum has been established, yesterday afternoon, reports our Kushtia correspondent.
Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu and Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahabubul Alam Hanif received them there.
The Indian president planted a tree there and enjoyed a Tagore song sung for him, sitting on the bank of historical pond called Bakultala at the Kuthibari during his 20-minute stay.