Dawki, July 14: The District administration of the West Jiantia Hills District welcome the dignitaries from Bangladesh who will participate at the Nadi Festival in Shillong “ A very warm welcome to all our respected delegates dignitaries, media and friends from across the border”.
The team from Bangladesh was led by the Tourism Minister, Government of Bangladesh Mr Rashed Khan Menon and State Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr Shariar Alam. The District administration said that “It is indeed a great privilege for us to host you in our country on the occasion of the NADI festival, which is organised by the Asian Confluence, India, East Asia Center, Shillong, in active collaboration with the Meghalaya government and the Maulana Abul Kamal Azad Institute of Asian Studies”.
The NADI festival which will celebrated in Shillong over the next two days is conceived over the recognition that our rivers form a vital connect between our two countries- that they are conduits for friendly trade, enhancing the economy of our border areas, that they are catalysts for eco tourism and cultural exchanges, and also that they remind us of the common concern of our natural environment, fragility of our riverine ecosystems.
While the festival will be observed through a series of dialogues, exhibitions, cultural performances etc in our capital city Shillong, we here in West Jaintia Hills District have the humble but distinct honour of hosting you, although very briefly, as you set foot in our country. As a district that shares a common border with Bangladesh, and whose people have in the past and the present, been interacting very closely with the people of Bangladesh, it is a great honour for us to host you.
We are also proud of the shared historical legacy that we share with Bangladesh, in that the King of Jaintiapur, in Bangladesh, a renowned ruler in olden times, had his kingdom spread out over our common area. We feel that a festival such as this, and particularly your presence and participation in it over the next days, will help us forge a roadmap for enhanced and active cooperation in trade, connectivity, communication, tourism and cultural exchanges.
Also other dignitaries who arrived were Mri Harsh Vardhan Shringla, High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh and Sripriya Renganathan, JS (BM), MEA
