Mangoes over politics? Bangladesh sends Himsagar and Amrapali to Bengal, Tripura CMs amid diplomatic...

Mangoes over politics? Bangladesh sends Himsagar and Amrapali to Bengal, Tripura CMs amid diplomatic tensions

Bangladesh has sent Himsagar and Amrapali mangoes to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha as a "goodwill gesture", a foreign ministry official told PTI.

According to local media reports, 1,100 kgs of mangoes were sent to the two chief ministers - 500 Kgs to Kolkata and 600 to Agartala.

The mangoes were handed over to the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata and the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala through the Benapole border in Jessore and the Akhaura land port in Brahmanbaria on Tuesday afternoon.

Since 2021, Dhaka has been sending mangoes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as to the chief ministers of the two states, with an exception in 2024 when then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government was toppled in street protests.

The exchange of seasonal mangoes has long been a key feature of India-Bangladesh diplomacy. Hasina often used Hilsa fish and mangoes as goodwill gifts to strengthen ties with India. She frequently sent them to then West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Even after her ouster, Bangladesh has continued the tradition of sending mangoes to India. The Yunus-led administration in Dhaka also sent mangoes to PM Modi amid strained ties between the two countries.

However, this time, Dhaka’s mango diplomacy has drawn attention in West Bengal’s political circles for two key reasons. First, several political leaders objected to remarks made by Adhikari.

The Bengal CM recently took a hardline stance against alleged illegal immigrants, implementing "detect, delete, and deport" policies that have triggered severe backlash and diplomatic friction with Bangladesh

Among those voicing criticism was Nahid Islam, the founding convenor of the National Citizen Party (NCP).

Islam alleged that Adhikari had made repeated provocative remarks about Bangladesh both before and after elections. He claimed Adhikari had said Bangladesh “was created by us,” threatened to push people there as “illegal infiltrators,” and suggested that Bangladesh should be treated in a manner like Israel’s approach to Gaza.

Recent pushback operations against undocumented immigrants have also triggered several standoffs between India’s Border Security Force (BSF) and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). In some instances, BGB personnel reportedly attempted to block deportation drives carried out by the BSF, leading to brief confrontations along the border. However, both sides have since held discussions aimed at addressing concerns over illegal cross-border movements.

Against this backdrop, the exchange of mangoes is being seen as a diplomatic gesture from Dhaka to keep ties with New Delhi and maintain a degree of goodwill with the West Bengal government.

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