Hasina won’t attend CU convocation

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Saturday, 04 February 2012

Author / Source : Staff Reporter

DHAKA, FEB 3:  Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will not attend the convocation ceremony of the Calcutta University (CU), sparking off rumours at the government as well as in the political circles that all is not well between the government of Bangladesh and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banarjee. Shiekh Hasina's decision to skip CU's convocation ceremony was informed by the West Bengal governor MK Narayanan, said Kolkata-based Express News Service on Friday.
Political circles believe the reason for her cancelling the visit is because of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's last minute backing out of the Indo-Bangla Teesta Water Treaty.
“The Bangladesh PM visited Tripura last month and refused to come to our state now. This is a clear indication as to how the new government has failed to keep a cordial relationship with Bangladesh,” said a senior CPIM leader.

Meanwhile, Urban Development Minister Firhaad Hakim, defended the government saying, “She is unable to make it due to time constraint and nothing else should be speculated. And it will definitely not affect the relationship between the two countries.” There were mixed reactions coming in from the CU, where the vice-chancellor said that the university could not postpone its convocation because of her absence.
“How can we put off our convocation. We have to do without her,” CU Vice-chancellor Prof Suranjan Das said.
“She said that she was busy at the moment and couldn’t find time to attend the ceremony,” the CU vice-chancellor said.
Hasina had visited Tripura last month and attended the ninth convocation of Tripura University, where Indian Vice-president Hamid Ansari, had conferred an honorary doctorate on her.
The CU had invited Hasina to come for the university’s convocation and deliver its convocation address. Her visit would have given impetus to the India-Bangla ties, the report added.
When contacted, a Foreign Ministry official told The Independent Friday that the Prime Minister’s inability to attend the function had been conveyed to the university authorities through the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata.