Agartala, January 12
Vice-President Hamid Ansari today conferred honorary Doctor of Literature (D.Litt) of Tripura University on the visiting Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in presence of an august gathering in the university auditorium here on its ninth convocation.

Conferring the degree, Ansari saluted Hasina’s exemplary courage in facing threats of terrorism and extremism and promoting pluralism, modernisation, tolerance and pursuing an ambitious agenda of economic growth, welfare and social justice.

“The destinies of India and Bangladesh are interlinked as the people of both the nations share a common history, culture and tradition. They have cooperated and faced challenges together. Bangladesh abuts our North-Eastern region and provides critical linkages to its economy, ecology and environment,” Ansari said.

Receiving the coveted degree, Hasina said it meant much for her and the people of Bangladesh that she has been conferred a degree by a university located at a place that had close historical bonds with Bangladesh even before its birth, after a phase of bloodshed and sacrifice by ‘Mukti Joddha’.

Quoting Rabindranath Tagore, she said, “The highest education does not merely give us information, but harmonises our life with all existence.”