A Trip of a Lifetime

Photos: Ridwan Adib Ripon

On October 4, 2015 Hazrat Shah Amanat International Airport was filled with some special young passengers. The excitement was more than usual and it was all because of a team of 100. The young 100-team delegation from Bangladesh was travelling to India thanks to the India- Bangladesh Cultural Exchange programme organised by the Indian High Commission in Dhaka. This was the fourth time that the exchange was being organised and the lucky 100 were to travel to India for a first hand experience on Indian culture and traditions. Their visit spanned from October 4 to 11.

After boarding Jet Airways the team reached Delhi at around 1:00 am. "We knew this was a government sponsored trip but didn't realise we would be treated like VIPs!" says Chowdhury Farahnaz Priyanka, a delegate and also a student of History at Dhaka University. On arrival, the team was greeted at the airport by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, India. With flowers and music, the 100 members were swept from their feet by Indian hospitality. Their first exposure to India began with the visit to the Delhi Museum where the delegates enjoyed Indian heritage up close. Later that day they were taken to the Indian Metro Station for a ride on the glorious Indian metro. The ride stopped at the Jamuna Bank Station where the first day of the trip ended.

The second day was a trip to IIFT (Indian Institute of Foreign Trade) where the delegates learned about Indian modern economy. "The lectures were very useful as we got to learn from the experts how India has developed and how they are still running the process," says Talbida Ali, a young Shanto-Mariam graduate in Fashion Designing, also a delegate. They were also taken to Hero Honda's factory, where they saw how a bike was manufactured step by step.

The third day was very important since it was the highlight of the trip. On October 6, the delegates were taken to the Rashtrapati Bhaban to meet with the Indian President Pranab Mukherji.  "This was something which we all have been waiting for. The President greeted us with a warm welcome and spoke about Bangladesh. As his wife was from Bangladesh we could actually see how he missed the country," says Zunaid Omar, studying Electrical Engineering at BUET and also one of the members of the delegation. The delegation also presented the President with souvenirs from the country. The trip also included heritage sites such as the Taj Mahal, Red Fort, Shantiniketan and so much more. The trip to the Taj Mahal is said to be a trip of a lifetime by the delegation. They were also taken to Jaipur and Kolkata.

Overall the trip represented a taste of India which the delegation came back with. "A diverse delegation including students, journalists and even sportsmen came back with an experience of a lifetime, an experience of true India," says Muhammad Tarequl Hassan, a young Cricket match manager, umpire and also a delegate.