Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 04:14am on 10 Dec 2024,Tuesday International
A Bengali literary festival at Visva-Bharati University’s Bangladesh Bhavan saw no participation from Bangladeshi poets and writers due to visa denials and rising political tensions. Organisers revealed that around 20 Bangladeshi participants refrained from applying for visas after initial refusals. The two-day festival, aimed at promoting Bengali culture, had participants from India and abroad. Political instability in Bangladesh, including reports of minority persecution, heightened concerns. Manabendra Mukherjee of Bangladesh Bhavan expressed regret, emphasizing the festival's reliance on cross-border participation for cultural dialogue.
