Dhaka

A rousing reception is being thrown by the Matua community in Bagladesh's Gopalgun in honour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is scheduled to visit the shrine of their founder and a meeting with his family today.

The visit to the Orakandi templeis being seen in the backdrop of the ongoing Assembly elections in West Bengal, where BJP is tryng to throw TMC out of power.

The authorities have just finishing making a helipad close to the sacred shrine of Harichand, founder of the ‘Matua’ community, where Modi  is scheduled to pay a visit. He would interact with the family of Harichand, a reformist scheduled caste leader who was born in Orakandi in 1812.

Many Matua community members have migrated to West Bengal during the Partition and later following the anti-Hindu riots during  Khaleda Zia's regime in 2001-02.

Their estimated population is around three crore.

On the second day of his visit, Modi will pay obeisance at Sri Sri Harichand temple of Matua community as well as Hari temple of Guruchand at Orakandi Thakurbadi in Gopalganj.

President of Bangladesh Matua Maha Mission, Padmanabh Thakur said that Modi will also spend time with the family of Harichand Thakur, the founder of Matua community..

Security has been beefed up around Orakandi and a helipad is being prepared in front of Thakurbari. The Public Works Department has also built a rest house near Hari Mandir. The president of Kashiani Upazila Parishad and a descendant of the Thakur family, Subroto Thakur, said that the Matua community is eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Prime Minister of India.

Matua community have a sizeable chunk of votes in 24 parganas and Nadia and Modi’s visit can go favourably with the community members since he would be the first high profile India leader to interact with the community.

According to Bangladeshi Newspapers, Modi will call on the Thakur family at the Nat Temple in the area and also offer prayers at the Harichand Temple. Hari Gosai, priest of the temple told media that the community was excited over Modi visiting them.

Officials of the Indian high Commission and local authorities have visited the site and inspected it.

Padmanav Thakur, the Matua leader, said, “We’re all set to receive him (Modi). In the meantime, we’ve held a number of meetings regarding his visit.”

Modi’s begins his official visit to Bangladesh on March 26 where he will join the 50th anniversary celebrations of the independence of Bangladesh, the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rehman and also the 50th year of the establishment of Indo-Bangla diplomatic ties.

He is visiting Bangabandhu memorial at Tungipara to pay homage to Bangladesh’s Founding Father. He may also visit “Sugandha Shaktipith” (Satipith) in Shikarpur in Barisal.Prime Minister will also hold a summit with his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina and sign a number of Memorandum of understanding.