Santiniketan: Bangladesh President Md Abdul Hamid on Tuesday visited Visva Bharati here and took keen interest in viewing the memorabilia of the Bard.
Hamid accompanied by varsity official visited the heritage Rabindra Bhavan compound at around 12:15 pm and went through the memorabilia of the Bard for half an hour.
The Bangladesh President met the Vice Chancellor Sushanta Duttagupta and interacted with him for about five minutes, Visvabharati sources said.
Hamid, who arrived here from Kolkata in a helicopter and checked in a guest house before visiting the Rabindra Bhavan, left at around 1:55 pm.
Varsity sources said Duttagupta, who had been facing demonstration of students and guardians in protest against the new admission policy, was finally allowed to step out of his chamber at 10:30 am earlier in the day and formally inaugurate the traditional 'Pous Utsav', one of the most important occasions in the institution's calendar of events.
Duttagupta then inaugurated the 'Pous Utsav', which had been introduced by Tagore, the founder of the university, two hours behind schedule of 8:30 am and rushed to Rabindra Bhavan to greet the Bangladesh President.
Meanwhile, the university authorities issued a press release re-introducing the existing system of admission.
"The VC as Chairman of Academic Council is pleased to approve the prevailing system of admission," the release said.
Duttagupta didnot speak to waiting mediapersons before leaving Rabindra Bhavan but only replied to a query, "It is part of game."
The students of the secondary schools of Visva-Bharati and their parents had gheraoed the VC and other higher officials of the university since last night demanding scrapping of the newly-introduced admission policy which did away with the internal quota system, police sources said.
The Bangladesh President had arrived in Delhi on December 18 on a six-day official visit during which he held talks with the Indian leadership.
