Bangladeshi expats celebrate New Year
abu dhabi — Bangladeshi expats in the UAE celebrated Bangla New Year with colourful events on Friday. The Bangla New Year fell on April 14, Sunday.
The event in the Capital was organised by the Bangladesh Embassy. Close to 1,500 members of the community held a procession and took part in cultural events at Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Bangladesh Islamia School in Abu Dhabi.
There were dance programmes, skits and musical performances by students highlighting the national culture and tradition.
Bangladeshi Ambassador to the UAE Muhammad Imran said it is a special occasion, especially, to make the new generation aware about the culture.
“There are many small children who haven’t even seen Bangladesh. So, we wanted to create an environment similar to Bangladesh. All the events held are similar to those followed in our home country,” Imran said.
“The proceedings began in the morning with ‘Mangal Shobhajatra’, which is a procession to promote unity and peace. It was declared an intangible cultural heritage by Unesco. Then there were a fair with all traditional things displayed and a food festival,” the ambassador added.
Bangladesh Association – UAE president Mohammad Moazzem Hossain said such initiatives help everyone in the community to know about their roots. “Events were also held at Bangladeshi Consulate in Dubai and other emirates with cultural programmes,” he added.