A Bangladesh President's invitation that never materialized

It so happened that once the late Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was asked a very peculiar question by an Indian journalist. The question was:" As the nation's Prime Minister, who you Mr. Gandhi consider to be your best friend and the nearest enemy?". The question indeed was a difficult one. However, the young pilot turned politician Indian Prime Minister by then had already understood the nitty-gritty of the Indian bureaucracy. Pat came the reply: 'the bureaucracy indeed".

Nepali bureaucracy is already famous for its "come tomorrow syndrome"'. I do not have much idea about the Pakistani and the bureaucracies of other countries of the region save Bangladesh.

I understand the B'desh bureaucracy simply because I have been the victim of this institution in a very indirect manner. However, thanks to my Himalayan patience that I'm still waiting their positive response though I have already spent good two decades of my precious age in this "happy waiting".

The story runs like this.

It so happened that during the fag end of the 1970s, the then Bangladesh embassy in Kathmandu and my own private rented residence were housed in the same compound. It was because of this intimate relations, my two small kids used to enter the embassy only to be loved by the diplomatic staffs there. Most of the B'desh diplomats used to come to me for consultations because I was then working for a weekly in Janakpur.

I do not remember the exact date when Nepal greeted the then Bangladesh President in military uniform but it should have been either the end of the 70s or early eighties.

The embassy had arranged a press-conference in its premises in Kalikasthan, Dillibazar. Naturally since I enjoyed the best of the relations with the staffs there, I too was invited for the press conference.

On time, around five in the afternoon, the President entered the embassy and we all the members of the press greeted the young and the energetic President of Bangladesh. He was all smiling.

The press meet began and the President expressed his hope that Nepal and Bangladesh could play a vital role in the region. By then the idea of SAARC had not even conceived. However, my own impression is that King Birendra and President Zia-Ur-Rehman had already discussed the "embryonic stage" of the would be shape of the regional forum.

Many press men asked questions to the President and the latter satisfied them with his explanations.

Came my turn to pose a question to the President. My question ran like this: " Welcome to Nepal Mr. President! Well Mr. President I have read that your country at the moment does not wish to greet foreigners more so the Indian tourists? Is it correct Mr. President? Or you have some thing to explain?

The President then asks me: "'who told you this thing"'?

I said this I read in one Indian weekly called the "Illustrated weekly printed from Bombay"

President: "You wish to see for yourselves whether we greet foreigners or not?"

I said Mr. President I would love to be in Bangladesh and get into the matter on my own.

The President then summoned the accompanying Foreign Minister (Shamshool Haq?) and whispered some thing in his ears.

Later the President drew my attention towards him and declared: "'you will visit Bangladesh next week as my guest. I think you will get opportunity to look for yourselves regarding the truth contained in the allegation made by the Indian weekly.

(My observation has been that some 'political issues' were confronting the two nations that time-editor).

He then assured me that we will se each other in Bangladesh next week.

A dumbfound Upadhyaya became nervous to the extent that I had to drink so many glasses of water to keep my posture intact.

Later I saw the foreign minister ordering BIMAN manager to issue a ticket for me. And that was the end of the entire episode apparently.

This news spread like wildfire in Kathmandu. People started congratulating me and my luck of being invited straight by the President of a very friendly country of the region.

The fact is that the supposed fateful "'next week" never came in my life.

In the process, I even forgot that I was once invited by a President of a country and that too at time of the press conference.

However, this time when I learnt that Madame Khaleda Zia will attend the eleventh SAARC Summit, I collected the needed courage to ventilate my feelings of hope and desperation.

This notwithstanding, my writing should not be taken by the concerned Bangladesh authorities, including Madame Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, otherwise. I have nothing to complain regarding my "'aborted trip" to Bangladesh.

It happens some times. But yet I am happy that the widow of the late President Zia-Ur-Rehman has once again bounced back to power during whose tenure let me hope, our bilateral ties will get a real boost.

One more suggestion to Madame Prime Minister. I think that it is time that Nepal and Bangladesh collectively initiate actions that facilitates a direct BUS Service from Kathmandu to Dhaka and vice versa. If Madame Prime Minister finds some time on the sidelines of the SAARC Summit, she would do well if she takes up the matter with the country whose small portion comes in the way while visiting Dhaka from Kathmandu or the other way round. Our collective efforts perhaps yield positive results in this regard.

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