The turmoil in Bangladesh and tension between the two countries over alleged incidents of attacks on minorities in the neighbouring country cast a shadow on an international conference on Bengali culture and literature that began on Saturday at the Bangladesh Bhavana of Visva-Bharati.

The two-day meet is being held without the presence of a delegation from Bangladesh.

The annual conference is jointly organised by the Visva-Bharati’s Bangladesh Bhavana authority and the Santiniketan-based Khoai Sahitya-Sanskriti Samiti, which has around 220 members worldwide.

Representatives from the US, Germany and the UAE participated in the discussion, along with members from at least 10 Indian states.

The organisers said they were upset over the absence of representation from Bangladesh, considered an integral part of promoting Bengali culture and literature in the earlier years.

The Bangladesh Bhavana in Visva-Bharati.

“We are upset and feel sad that none of our members from Bangladesh could attend the event. We believe the participation of scholars, authors, and poets from the neighbouring country would have increased the significance of the event,” said Kishore Bhattacharya, the secretary of Khoai Sahitya-
Sanskriti Samiti.

“Last year, around 22 representatives from Bangladesh participated in the event. This year, no one from Bangladesh received a visa. We also did not pressure them to come, considering the current situation (of unrest) in their country,” Bhattacharya added.

The relationship between Bangladesh and India has been strained since the arrest of monk Chinmoy Krishna Das and the alleged attacks on minorities in the neighbouring country after Sheikh Hasina had to flee the nation on August 5.

The Indian government issued a strong statement regarding the arrest of Das, who was taken into custody by the Bangladesh police on
November 25.

A source said the Indian government has imposed restrictions on issuing visas to Bangladeshis following the recent turmoil.

“The government is not currently providing regular visas. Even medical and student visas are being allowed only after multiple considerations,” the source said.

A senior professor in Visva-Bharati said many Bangladeshi students, including PhD scholars, are failing to come to campus following embargos over the issuance of visas, affecting their proposed research and study.

One of the organisers, who had communicated with the Bangladeshi members, said even if they got visas, it was tough for them to attend a programme here.

“We also requested them not to come in such a situation.... We hope the ties between the two countries are restored,” a source in Visva-Bharati said.

The source also said that after the conclusion of last year’s conference, the organisers had planned to hold the event at the premises of the Bangladesh Bhavana established by the Bangladesh government. The Bhavana, which houses a museum, conference hall, auditorium, and library, was jointly inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his then-counterpart Sheikh Hasina in 2018.

“The Bangladesh Bhavana is a monument of unity between the two countries. We would have been happy if representatives from Bangladesh had attended the event. However, we hope they will overcome their issues and participate in future events,” said Manabendra Mukhopadhyay, the chief coordinator of Bangladesh Bhavana.

Authors, poets and cultural activists from several countries and Indian states took part in the vibrant event on Saturday, which is set to conclude on Sunday.

The relationship between Bangladesh and Visva-Bharati has been of long duration.

After the country gained independence in 1971, hundreds of students from Bangladesh came to Visva-Bharati to study.

Every year, around 50-60 students from Bangladesh are admitted to the central university, especially in courses related to music, fine arts and literature.

A source stated that Visva-Bharati currently has around 300 Bangladeshi students, making them the largest group of foreign students at the university.

“A degree from Visva-Bharati had value in Bangladesh as the institution has been set up by Rabindranath Tagore,” a student from Bangladesh said.