Preparations at two West Bengal universities for ceremonies later this week, at which Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to be present, are in their last leg. But it has not been smooth sailing.
At a time when Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan, is giving final touches to Banga Bhawan, which will house a library and a museum of the Bangladesh War of Liberation, it has found itself in the centre of a controversy surrounding Desikottam , its highest award.
Officials of the Central University, whose Chancellor is Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said they were awaiting confirmation from the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development and the Prime Minister’s Office for bestowing the awards on Friday. A section of the University faculty members said the Centre had certain reservations about the list of awardees decided by the University.
Meanwhile, there was frantic activity in the University for the event scheduled for May 25, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will be present. Prime Minister Hasina will inaugurate Banga Bhawan.
Honour for Haseena
Almost 100 km away, on the campus of Kazi Nazrul University in Asansol, preparations are on to host the convocation, at which Ms. Hasina will be honoured with a D. Litt degree.
On Tuesday, the varsity’s Vice Chancellor Sadhan Chakraborty found himself having to express regret at not having sent an invitation to the local Bharatiya Janata Party MP and Union Minister for State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise Babul Supriyo. Mr. Supriyo had expressed his displeasure at not being invited to the third convocation of the University. The Vice-Chancellor said that the MP was present at the first two convocations and he would personally ask him to be present this time as well.
Prof. Chakraborty said the Bangladesh Prime Minister was being honoured for taking the ideals of Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam to the grassroots in Bangladesh. The VC, however, was a little anxious as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had not confirmed her attendence at the event scheduled for May 26.
