Kolkata: Bengal is her "baaper bari", said Bangladeshi Rabindrasangeet exponent Rezwana Choudhury Bannya as she attended the inauguration of the Jyoti Basu Centre for Social Studies and Research in New Town on Friday to mark the former CM's 15th death anniversary. She remembered Basu fondly and thanked Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee for the Bangabhushan. The first phase of the centre was opened by CPM's Prakash Karat on Friday.
Reflecting on Basu, Bannya shared, "I met him once at his residence in Salt Lake.Saif Ali Khan Health UpdateDoctors give health update: 'Saif needs rest; spine injury may get infected''Kitna time lagega': Auto driver recounts rushing Saif Ali Khan to hospital after attackUrvashi apologises for insensitive remarks on SaifBoth of us hail from Dhaka, and he reminisced about his days there."
"We wish to remain distant from matters concerning geographical and political boundaries. It would be inappropriate to view my stay through a political lens. Jyoti Basu was a great neta. So was Indira Gandhi. The same goes for Narendra Modi and Mamata Banerjee. The honour Banerjee bestowed upon me with the Bangabhushan in 2017 is unforgettable. That was my first state recognition from here. Equally significant is the Padmashri conferred by Indian govt last year," she said.
"I have been residing in Kolkata since the Pujas and will remain here until Feb. I have an enduring connection with Bengal. This is my ‘baaper bari'. I know every street like the back of my palm. I reminisce about my time as a student at Sangeet Bhawan. Those memories are indelible. I'm lucky that I receive immeasurable love here, still.. similar to what I got in the hostel then."
Bannya was a student at Visva-Bharati in the '70s, receiving tutelage from luminaries like Shailajaranjan Majumder, Santidev Ghosh, Kanika Bandyopadhyay and Neelima Sen. She returned to Dhaka in 1981 after completing her fine arts postgraduate studies.
Regarding the centre, Bannya said: "This is a centre for social studies and research. I anticipate the centre will conduct research beneficial to humanity and culture. Such endeavours interest me as I believe they contribute to societal advancement."