Thai minister to visit Dhaka at Pahela Baishakh to learn Bangla culture

Thailand’s Culture Minister Vira Rojpojchanarat is coming to Dhaka with a team “exclusively” to enjoy and know about Bangla New Year celebrations on Tuesday.

The foreign ministry has said such visit will be the first of its kind by any Thai or ASEAN nation culture minister.

He will arrive with a eight-member delegation on Monday night.

A senior cabinet minister, Rojpojchanarat is an archaeological expert.

He has dedicated his entire life in restoration of ancient monuments and relics of Thailand and in the ASEAN region, a grouping of 10 South-East Asian countries.

Thailand is the third largest tourist destination of the world and popular for its ancient Buddhist monuments and relics.

Dhaka and Bangkok have agreements on cultural, educational and scientific cooperation.

Bangladesh Embassy in Bangkok on the Independence Day last month organised two special cultural events with participation of a large cultural delegation from Dhaka and painting exhibition by Bangladeshi artists.

Those had generated “active interest” in the Thai ministry of culture, the foreign ministry said.

Inspector General for Culture Sureerat Wongsangiem, Secretary to the Minister Prarop Laovanich, and Director of International Affairs Darunee Thamapodol are among his entourage for the one-day visit.

Thai journalists will also accompany him.

The minister will join the main celebration at the Ramna Batamul at 6:30am, and then watch the colourful Mangal Shobhajatra at the Fine Arts Institute of Dhaka University.

His Bangladesh counterpart Asaduzzaman Noor will receive him at the Ramna Batamul.

He will also visit the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum to pay tribute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The minister will meet his counterpart Noor before an official lunch at the State Guest House, Padma.

He will visit Dharmarijika Buddhist Sangha at Kamalapur to pay respect to Songhonayak Mahathero in the afternoon and then enjoy a cultural programme at the Shilpakala Academy.

He will leave Dhaka on Wednesday morning.