AGARTALA: The three-day Indo-Bangla tourism festival got underway at the Ujjayanta Palace in Tripura capital – Agartala on Sunday.
The inaugural function was marked with several colourful cultural performances by artists from both the countries.
Hundreds of people turned up to enjoy the function in the Tripura capital.
The festival was first started in 2020, but due to COVID-19 pandemic, the event could not be organized for the last two years.
However, as the COVID-19 situation in the country is slowly improving, the Tripura tourism department organized the festival again.
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The main aim of the event is to strengthen cultural ties between Tripura and Bangladesh and also promote tourism exchange between India and Bangladesh.
Several singers from Bangladesh performed at the function while delegates from Bangladesh tasted the indigenous dishes prepared in the food festival.
Tripura deputy chief minister Jishnu Dev Varma inaugurated the festival and urged the Bangladeshi investors to take advantage of the relaxations being granted in the industrial sector through several schemes like SEZ and ease of doing business.
Dev Varma who also holds the finance portfolio in Tripura government also requested the Bangladesh government to encourage investment in the state.
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He said, “We feel industrialists from Bangladesh should take advantage of the several incentives being offered by the Indian government through SEZ in Sabroom and connectivity.”
“The Bangladesh government should encourage industries to show interest in Tripura and become a part of the state’s development,” deputy CM Jishnu Dev Varma said.
“We are neighbours, not only geographically but also historically and culturally. The sole purpose of such events is to strengthen the strong friendship we have share for decades,” he added.
Dr Md Abdus Shahid, MP and chairman of committee on estimates and former chief whip of Bangladesh Parliament also spoke on the occasion and observed that tourism plays an important role in strengthening ties between two countries.
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Tripura tourism minister Pranajit Singha Roy, on the other hand, told the gathering that Tripura is second in the Northeast, after Assam, to receive foreign tourists and most of the tourists come from Bangladesh.
He said, “Several initiatives are being taken to develop the tourism sector in Tripura. Adventure sports, water scooters and helipads have been put in place to offer the tourists all kinds of services that they require.”