In response to the Indian government’s invitation to participate in the 150th-anniversary celebrations of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Bangladesh on Friday confirmed that it will not attend the event. Dhaka’s denial is attributed to what it calls ‘restrictions on non-essential foreign travel at government expense’.
Mominul Islam, the acting director of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), acknowledged India’s invitation, saying, “The India Meteorological Department invited us to their 150th anniversary celebrations. We maintain good relations and continue to collaborate with them.”
Bangladesh’s reason to skip event
About Bangladesh’s participation in the event, he said, “However, we are not going to the event as there is an obligation to limit non-essential foreign trips funded by the government.”
The BMD’s acting director underscored the regular contact between the two agencies, as he noted his recent visit to India on December 20, 2024, where he had a separate meeting with Indian meteorologists.
Earlier, the IMD invited several neighbouring nations, including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, and countries from the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
A top IMD official told news agency PTI, “We have asked all the countries that were part of India when IMD was launched (150 years ago) to join this festival.” “Pakistan has already agreed to join the event, but Bangladesh has not responded”, he added.
The history of IMD
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is a British-era institution founded in 1875. It was established as a response measure to cater to devastating weather events, including the cyclone that ravaged Kolkata in 1864 and other monsoon-related disasters that occured in 1866 and 1871.
Initially headquartered in Kolkata, the IMD relocated several times, moving to Shimla in 1905, Pune in 1928, and eventually Delhi in 1944. The department will officially mark its sesquicentennial on January 15, 2025.
(With PTI inputs)
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