India, Bangladesh working closely to strengthen ties

Indian and Bangladeshi officials met recently for the 82nd joint border conference here to discuss various issues related to the border.

The three-day long meet focused on identifying missing border pillars and taking steps to repair or rebuild them.

The six-member Indian delegation was led by Survey of India's Kolkata based director N R Biswal, while the Bangladesh side was headed by Abdul Mannan.

India and Bangladesh share a 4095-kilometer-long border.

Manan said: "India is a friendly state and we received lots of assistance in our liberation war. So, any issue with friendly countries like India, we will try to resolve it through discussion."

Tripura also hosted a four-day film festival to commemorate the 42nd year of the Bangladesh Liberation War.

The event, titled "Bangladesh War of Liberation in Celluloid" was organized jointly by the Directorate of Film Festivals of India and Bangladesh.

Visitors thronged the Nazrul Kala Kshetra and showed keen interest in understanding the history of the liberation war and India's role in it.

Various internationally awarded films and documentaries on the liberation war were screened at the festival.

A photo exhibition, consisting of more than 450 photos showcasing the struggle during the war, was also organized.

Sahabuddin Mazumder, one of the organiser's of the photo exhibition, said: "Over 30 lakh people died, 3 lakh women were raped during the liberation war. If we allow the history of such a hard-earned freedom to be forgotten, what will be left with with? That is when the thought came to me that the only way to hold on to the legacy is pictures, because they never lie, and I started collecting them."

Dr. Sanaulla, a visitor from Bangladesh, said: "India and Bangladesh are so closely linked that there are many similarities between the two countries, both in terms of culture and thought processes. Moreover, during the formation of Bangladesh, the kind of support we got from India, especially the people of Tripura, we can never forget that."

Cultural events like this one help in strengthening people-to-people contact and promote better relations.

They also give the youth a chance to understand their legacy.