Bangladesh to Bengal, 600kg of sweet ‘mango diplomacy’ – Times of India

KOLKATA: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sent a gift of the flavour of the season – mangoes from Rajshahi, 600 kilos of it – to Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, hitting the perfect ‘sweet spot’ in foreign diplomacy.
Representatives of Bangladesh Deputy High Commission on Monday went over to Banerjee’s Kalighat home on Monday to hand over the gift, delicately wrapped and packed in cartons to preserve freshness.
Separate teams also went over to the New Delhi residences of President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi with similar cartons. The fruit was also sent to those who received the Mukti Juddha Samman and Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim.
Last year, the Bangladesh PM had sent Rangpur’s Haribhanga mangoes to President Kovind, PM Modi and Banerjee. Banerjee had immediately reciprocated, calling her “Hasina Di” (elder sister), mentioning she had heard of Haribhanga mangoes. About 270 varieties of mangoes, noted for their pulpy sweetness and delicate flavours, grow in Bangladesh’s Rajshahi division. Early varieties of mangoes, which are plucked from the second week of May, include Gopal Bhog, Brindabani, Golapkhas and Ranipachhanda. From June, varieties like Langra, Haribhanga and Lakkhanbhog start to hit the market. Other varieties, such as Amrapali, Mohanbhog and Fazli grow between July and September.
Most of the mango-growing regions in Rajshahi are near Malda, one of the largest mango-producing regions of India. Bengal mangoes – mainly from Malda, Murshidabad and Nadia – are highly sought after by connoisseurs. Varieties like Himsagar, Kishen Bhog, Bombai, Langra, Fazli, Golapkhas, Amrapali and Mallika are in huge demand even across the border.
Bengal’s rich mango heritage had even prompted CM Banerjee to send over a gift of the fruit to PM Modi in 2021 after they fought a pitched, no-holds-barred battle for Bengal and Banerjee was elected the CM for the third time.