After putting into rest the controversy over his Bangladesh honour for contributions to the liberation war, the chief minister Manik Sarkar left for Dhaka on Monday.
Bangladesh President Zillur Rahman will confer the honour to 129 foreign friends of Bangladesh, including 47 Indians, on Tuesday in a special programme at Dhaka as part of the 40th anniversary of their independence.
Inclusion of Mr Sarkar’s name in the honour list raised a controversy here as the Opposition Congress and many civil society organisations said that he had no significant contribution during the liberation war of Bangladesh. The issue was raised in the state assembly too when Mr Sarkar clarified that he consider it as an honour for the people of Tripura.
Meanwhile, the Bangla-desh foreign minister Dipu Moni, who is also the chairperson of the national committee for selection of persons to be honoured, in a press conference said they have selected Mr Sarkar after considering all pros and corn. Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma, who was only 11-years-old at the time of the liberation war of Bangladesh, also said I am going to receive the honour on behalf of the people of my state.
Sachindra Lal Singha, the first chief minister of Tripura, who was instrumental in facilitating Shekh Muzibur Rahaman to cross over to Tripura in 1963 that culminated to the infamous Agartala conspiracy case in 1967, figured in the top of the long list of dignitaries. This secret visit of Shekh Mujibur long before he became Bangabandhu believed to have sewed the seed of freedom struggle for Bangladesh.