Dubai: Bangladesh Consulate General in Dubai and Northern Emirates recently held a grand cultural festival to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of Bangladesh and the UAE, as well as the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation of Bangladesh — Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Supported by the Bangladesh Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Cultural Affairs, the cultural festival saw participation by more than 50 actors and performers and was attended by more than 15,000 people at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Tipu Munshi, Bangladesh Commerce Minister, Mohammad Abu Zafar, Bangladesh Ambassador to the UAE, four secretaries of the Government of Bangladesh and 60 dignitaries, including leading industrialists from Bangladesh, attended the programme.
‘Congratulations to the people of Bangladesh and UAE’
“Bangladesh and the UAE are both bound by cultural, religious and moral values. People are fortunate to be led by the visionary leadership and as a result, both the countries have been growing,” B.M. Jamal Hossain, Consul General of Bangladesh, who played a key role in personally supervising the celebrations, said.
“I would like to congratulate the people of both Bangladesh and the UAE on the success of the last 50 years and we pledge to work for the shared vision for the next 50 years and beyond. The grand cultural festival has been organised to pay our deep respect to the Government and the people of the UAE who created a second home for our citizens as well as the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Father of the Nation, who continuously inspires us to contribute to our nation.
“The peace-loving Bangladeshi nationals will continue to work for the development of the UAE economy and we will forge greater partnership with the UAE in the years to come.”
Captivating the audience
The grand cultural programme started with an excellently choreographed dance performed by a Bangladeshi troupe led by famous performer Sadia Islam Mou, combining a UAE and a Bangladeshi-themed song that captivated the audience. The evening’s key performer, Mumtaz Begum MP, dedicated her performance to the NRBs who contribute handsomely to the UAE and Bangladeshi economy — a sentiment echoed by all the key performers, including Ferdous — popular Bangladeshi actor.
The Golden Jubilee celebrations also featured artistes from the state of West Bengal in India, reflecting the strong support provided by the Government of India and the Government of West Bengal to Bangladesh.
Lot of commonalities
Both Bangladesh and the UAE have a lot of commonalities and both the countries are bound together by religious tolerance, visionary leadership and openness. Today, more than one million Non-Resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) live, work and run businesses in the UAE, contributing to the economies of the UAE and Bangladesh.
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This was further cemented by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visits to the UAE to take the partnership to the next level.
Bangladeshi expatriates currently own more than 75,000 businesses in the UAE, employing more than 200,000 professionals and workers. NRBs remit more than Dh9.1 billion to Bangladesh every year.
