Make our friendship ‘permanent’: Pranab

President Pranab Mukherjee has urged Bangladeshi youths to work for making Dhaka-Delhi “friendship strong and permanent”.

He told this to a 100-member visiting youth delegation when they called on him at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Saturday.

The first Bengali President of the world’s largest democracy also told them that India would always “extend its hand of cooperation for the welfare, progress, upliftment and onward march of the people of Bangladesh”.

He wished them a very enjoyable and educative tour, according to the President’s facebook page.

This is the third group in as many years taken to India to let them get an idea of its history, culture and current state of its education.

The President has given audience to all visiting youth groups from Bangladesh.

The President said he was “very happy” to meet them and also the two previous groups.

He said India attaches the highest importance to its relations with Bangladesh.

“Bangladesh is a close neighbour with whom India shares so much. The two countries share not only borders but also common history, culture and heritage,” he said.

During their week-long stay that will end on Oct 20, the delegation will visit famous cultural and historical sites besides interacting with educational, business, IT and technological institutions in New Delhi, Agra, Mumbai and Kolkata.

Young men and women aged between 22 years and 35 years from diverse institutions have been selected for the tour. Most of them are university students on their first foreign trip.

In a pre-departure briefing, the High Commissioner Pankaj Saran in Dhaka encouraged them to interact with each other and represent the best of Bangladesh during the visit.

The Indian government hosts this programme as part of its efforts to make a bridge of understanding. Youth constitute a large part of the popularion of both countries.

This programme offers a scope of knowing each other as the youths of both sides will grow together, the high commissioner had said.

The High Commission in Dhaka organises the tour in co-operation with the India’s Ministry of Youths and Sports.