Bangla Prez visits Meghalaya's Balat village after 47 years

Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid today visited Balat village in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district, almost 47 years after he helped set up a refugee camp there during his country's Liberation War.
The Bangladesh president is on a five-day visit to India, where among other fixtures, he will attend the International Solar Alliance (ISA) summit of 121 countries in New Delhi on Sunday.
Hamid was accompanied by first lady Rashida Khanam and other family members.
At Balat, a sleepy town along the India-Bangladesh border, he met local residents and those who he remembered had helped him in setting up the camp, a senior district official told PTI.

The camp had given refuge to a number of youths from neighbouring Bangladesh, he said.
"I am indebted to the people of Balat and I cherish my time here. I ought to have visited Balat long back," the official quoted Hamid as saying.
Hamid also visited Rabindranath Tagore's residence in the state capital and paid tribute to the Nobel laureate.