N.S. Bangladeshi community celebrates Bengali New Year and Eid
CBC
St. Mary's Boat Club in Halifax was filled with the sights and sounds of Bangladesh on Saturday as community members came together to celebrate Eid-al-Fitr and Bengali New Year.
Year 1431 on the Bengali calendar began on April 14.
The Northwest Arm venue was filled to capacity with people wearing traditional Bangladeshi clothing who came for the opportunity to shop, eat and enjoy cultural performances.
Golam Talukder, the chairperson of the Bangladesh Community Association of Nova Scotia, said the community came together to promote and celebrate Bangladeshi culture in an increasingly multicultural province.
Talukder said the community has grown considerably since he arrived with his family in 2008.
"I was the second Bangladeshi living in our area.... Now we have more than 200 families in Dartmouth itself and it's fantastic we have a celebration like this," he said.
"We are missing our families back home. So we are trying to make our own families here."
The association formed in 2017. He said they have had a New Year celebration every year except for 2022.
Talukder said association events help new members find jobs and accommodations and provide support for expectant mothers who need support, according to Talukder.
Nova Scotia's Lt.-Gov. Arthur LeBlanc and representatives of all levels of government attended the event.
Abu Sufian and Ismat Jarin had a table featuring homemade Bangladeshi treats including roshmalai, a traditional dessert made from milk, flour, sugar and saffron.
"Food is the heart of life," Sufian said. "We love our nation. We love our people."
Children were at the heart of the day's cultural program. Dance and music performances got rounds of applause from the crowd.
There were several stalls selling traditional Bangladeshi clothing.
After walking a few laps around the shop, Maria Castagna picks up a glass ornament in the form of a pink, sparkly ice cream cone and smiles widely.
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