Sources of the programme organiser Khowai Sahitya Samiti said that almost 20 poets and writers from Bangladesh wanted to attend the festival that began on Saturday.
Kishore Bhattacharya, secretary of Khowai Sahitya Patrika and one of the organisers of the festival, said, “Some of them tried to get visas, but they were refused, and after that, the rest of them also restrained themselves from applying for visas.”
Bhattacharya said, “We organised a two-day international discussion meeting and Hridoy Milon Festival as a joint initiative of Bangladesh Bhavan and Khowai Sahitya Sanskriti. This time, however, our Bangladeshi friends failed to attend this programme. We also discouraged them from coming here because of recent tension in their country. We know that, in this turmoil and unstable situation, it is not possible to discuss and create literature. However, they are regretting, and we are also feeling sad.”
This year, Khowai Sahitya Samiti jointly organised this festival with Bangladesh Bhavan. The Bangladesh Bhavan, located at Visva-Bharati, was built with financial support from the Sheikh Hasina government. The head of Bangladesh Bhavan, Manabendra Mukherjee, said, “This festival basically is to uplift Bengali culture and literature. It is not possible without the participation of poets and writers of Bangladesh.”
Around 200 Bengali poets and writers from various parts of India, such as Gujarat, Assam, Tripura, and Mumbai, as well as international participants from the United States, Germany, and Dubai, attended the event. Key faculty members from Visva-Bharati attended the festival, including acting vice chancellor Vinay Kumar Soren.
The political situation in Bangladesh has been tense since August 6, when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had to leave the country amidst a significant student movement demanding job reservations. Since then, an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has been in power. During this period, reports of minority groups being targetted in areas such as Chittagong and Rangpur have emerged, leading to unrest and concern in India.