Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma. File photo

DHAKA, May 7, 2026 (BSS) - Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma today said art remains a powerful medium to renew the unique India-Bangladesh relationship and strengthen enduring people-to-people ties. 

The remarks came as the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre (IGCC) of the High Commission of India inaugurated the art exhibition "Sampriti" at its Gulshan premises in the capital this evening, said an Indian High Commission press release here. 

Inaugurating the exhibition, Verma said the relationship between India and Bangladesh is unique and deeply anchored in shared history, language, culture and close people-to-people connections.

"Art remains one of the most powerful mediums through which these bonds are expressed and renewed, transcending boundaries and creating spaces for dialogue, empathy and harmony," he said.

The inauguration coincided with the 165th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore. 

The programme began with ceremonial lighting of lamps in tribute to Tagore by Pranay Verma alongside eminent artists Rafiqun Nabi, Monirul Islam, Farida Zaman and Abdus Sattar.

The high commissioner said Tagore remains a towering figure of the shared cultural heritage of India and Bangladesh and continues to embody the ideals of creativity, humanism and cultural harmony.

The exhibition has been organized as a continuation of the "Sampriti" Art Camp held on April 10-11 marking the 77th Foundation Day of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

The exhibition showcases artworks created during the two-day art camp by 33 eminent contemporary Bangladeshi artists and ICCR scholars, including Rafiqun Nabi, Monirul Islam, Abdus Shakoor, Abdus Sattar, Farida Zaman, Jamal Ahmed and others.

The exhibition was curated by Sanjoy Chakraborty.

Pranay Verma also paid tribute to late artist and ICCR scholar Tarun Ghosh, whose artwork has been included in the exhibition in honour of his artistic legacy.

Senior artists Rafiqun Nabi and Monirul Islam expressed hope that "Sampriti" would inspire further artistic exchanges between India and Bangladesh.

The evening also featured Rabindra Sangeet performances by Shahnaz Nasrin Ila of the University of Dhaka.

The exhibition will remain open to visitors from May 8 to May 17 at the IGCC in Gulshan.