Bangladesh cultural troupe enthrals Colombo audience

Bangladesh Minister for Cultural Affairs Asaduzzaman Nooropeneda graced a cultural show at the auditorium of Western Province Aesthetic Resort in Colombo Monday evening. The ceremonial inauguration of the show by traditional lighting of candles was also attended by Sri Lankan Minister of Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs S.B. Nawinna and Bangladesh High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Tarik Ahsan. The show was staged by a visiting cultural troupe of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, led by choreographer Tamanna Rahman. The cultural show featured traditional and contemporary dance performances of Bangladesh, with interludes of baul songs.

The show enthralled the audience that included ambassadors, heads of cultural centres of foreign countries, high government officials, members of cultural community, representatives of media, members of expatriate Bangladesh community and officials of Bangladesh High Commission. The cultural show gave an added dimension to the observance of the 40th anniversary of establishment of Bangladesh High Commission in Colombo on 21 April 1976.

The Bangladesh Minister arrived in Colombo earlier in the afternoon of Monday on a four-day official visit to Sri Lanka at the invitation of his Sri Lankan counterpart. He was received at the airport by Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs of Sri Lanka Bernard Vasantha and Bangladesh High Commissioner Tarik Ahsan. He is heading a three-member official delegation. The 16-member cultural troupe from Bangladesh arrived in Colombo on Sunday.

The Bangladesh cultural troupe is visiting Sri Lanka under local hospitality and arrangement by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs of Sri Lanka in cooperation with Bangladesh High Commission in Colombo. This is the first time that a cultural show of Bangladesh has taken place in Sri Lanka under the cultural exchange program (CEP) that was signed between the two governments on 18 April 2011.

After the cultural show, Minister Noor had a working dinner with SAARC Cultural Centre in Colombo Director Wasanthe Kotuwella. The discussion focused on choosing a Bangladesh city for designation as the next SAARC Cultural Capital and preparation for Bangladesh participation in the SAARC Film Festival to be held in Colombo soon.

The Bangladesh cultural troupe will stage another performance at the Provincial Council Auditorium at Pallekele in Kandy on Wednesday, 11 May. The Bangladesh Minister is also expected to grace the inauguration of Bangladesh Gallery of the International Buddhist Museum within the premises of the Temple of Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha in Kandy on Tuesday, 10 May.

Pix by Bhanuka Kirinde