Legendary Indian educationist and philanthropist Dr Achyuta Samanta, who arrived in Dhaka to receive an honorary Doctorate of Letters (D.Litt) from a university today, met eminent personalities at the office of the Bangla daily Prothom Alo in the capital yesterday.

Dr Samanta thanked the Prothom Alo for introducing him to the educationists and distinguished people and praised Bangladeshis for their hospitality.
When Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid shook hands with Dr Samanta, “the great man” were the words that left his mouth first. “For long, I have just read about you in newspapers, and heard about your stories. Now I can see you. It is a great opportunity to meet you,” he said about the man known as “Wonder of Odisha” in India.

Dr Samanta almost single-handedly built the global standard university, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), in Odisha over the last two decades. He also founded Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS).

The two institutes employ some 10 lakh people, Samanta said. “In Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), around 20,000 indigenous people receive free education.

KISS has been recognised as the world’s biggest school for indigenous people. It has opened branches in Delhi and some other places in India.”

Dr Samanta will receive D.Litt from Daffodil International University in Dhaka today.

University Grants Commission Chairman Prof AK Azad Chowdhury and Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman were present at the meeting.