Diabetes focus of National Day

Abu Dhabi: Bangladeshi expatriates celebrated their country's 40th Independence Day in a different manner yesterday by launching an awareness campaign for diabetes.

Diabetes affects Emirati and Bangladeshi communities, Ambassador Mohammad Nazm Al Quanine said, while explaining the purpose of the campaign.

About 500 Bangladeshi expatriates attended the celebrations at the Bangladesh Embassy.

"This is [the] first time [that] a large number of workers has taken part in the National Day celebrations. We had invited them with the cooperation of their companies," Quanine said.

The companies arranged transport for the workers, as had been done in January when the embassy organised a cultural evening for Bangladeshi workers, he said.

The embassy will continue to involve workers in its celebrations, cultural activities and socially-relevant campaigns such as the one against diabetes, the ambassador said.

"The campaign aims to motivate our community to work for a social cause."

The ambassador earlier hoisted the national flag and read out the Bangladesh President's and Prime Minister's messages.

In his address to the community, Quanine asked them to work for the prosperity of the UAE which hosts almost an 800,000 strong Bangladeshi community — the third largest expatriate community in the UAE, after Indians and Pakistanis.

A group of expatriates sang patriotic songs at the function.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Minister for Labour and Expatriate Welfare Khandker Musharaf Hussain will be the chief guest at a reception, to be held in a hotel in Abu Dhabi, tomorrow evening.