Sheikh Hasina in Kolkata for Test match, may meet Mamata Banerjee
BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly had earlier invited the Bangladeshi premier to watch the first pink ball, day-night Test match to be played on Indian soil, and Modi made the request in view of the historic nature of the game, external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar told a weekly news briefing on Thursday.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will visit Kolkata on Friday at the request of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to inaugurate a special Test match between the two countries.
BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly had earlier invited the Bangladeshi premier to watch the first pink ball, day-night Test match to be played on Indian soil, and Modi made the request in view of the historic nature of the game, external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar told a weekly news briefing on Thursday.
Noting that this represents a special occasion in Indian sport, Kumar said: “So, it was most appropriate that the first day-night Test in India, being played between India and Bangladesh, be inaugurated by the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.”
Hasina is expected to meet West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee during the game. The meeting could provide an opportunity to the two leaders to discuss Bangladesh’s long-standing demand for an agreement on the sharing of the waters of the Teesta river. Banerjee has opposed the agreement, saying it could affect water supplies in West Bengal during the dry season.
The Bangladeshi premier is expected to fly into Kolkata on Friday morning and leave later in the day after watching the first day of the Test match.
