Outgoing Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma has paid floral tribute to poet Kazi Nazrul Islam on the occasion of his 127th birth anniversary.
He said the poems of Kazi Nazrul Islam will remain etched in the collective memory of both Bangladesh and India.
The envoy made the remarks while inaugurating the High Commission of India (HCI) Library at the Indian Cultural Centre, Gulshan Avenue, Dhaka on Monday.
The High Commissioner expressed hope that the HCI Library would continue to serve as a welcoming space for all who believe in the enduring power of books and ideas.
The HCI Library, one of the oldest libraries in independent Bangladesh, has long served as a window for the dissemination of knowledge and information on Indian art, culture, economy, literature, history, politics, and other fields, said the High Commission on Tuesday.
The newly opened HCI library houses a rich collection of books in English, Hindi, and Bengali.
The library will remain open to members from Sunday to Thursday, between 9:00 AM and 5:30 PM.
Bharat Bichitra (monthly magazine), published by HCI Dhaka, will also be available to library members.
The event ended with a cultural performance featuring musical renditions of Nazrul songs by Bangladeshi singer Avijit Kundu.
The High Commissioner has already left Dhaka for Brussels to take up his new assignment, a diplomatic source told UNB on Tuesday.
Pranay Verma, who has recently been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Belgium and the European Union, said Bangladesh will remain one of their most cherished postings because of the warm affection and friendship they received here.
India has appointed Dinesh Trivedi as the next High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs announced the appointment recently, noting that he is expected to take up the assignment shortly.
Pranay Verma, who previously served as India’s Ambassador to Vietnam, arrived in Dhaka on September 21, 2022.
Trivedi served as Union Minister for Railways and Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare during the UPA regime as a member of the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
He resigned from the TMC on February 12, 2021, and joined the BJP on March 6, 2021.