Culture, food and young people's success celebrated at Bangladeshi festival in Peterborough

The Peterborough Bangladesh Welfare Association (PBWA) held a cultural program and food festival in Peterborough at the weekend.

The event featured performances by local artists and children, while community members set up numerous food stalls offering authentic Bangladeshi food, cakes, and baked goods.

Awards were also presented to children who had excelled in education, art, and sports, as well as to the winners of a garden competition the association held.

The event took place at the Gladstone Community Centre on Saturday to mark Bangladesh Victory Day – a national holiday in the country.

Andrew Pakes, MP for Peterborough, and Councillor Mohammed Sabir attended the ceremony and presented awards to the competition winners.

The event also saw PBWA launch a magazine called 'Bijoy' – the first magazine published by Bangladeshis in Peterborough. The magazine includes various articles, poems, stories, and a research-based article on the history of Bangladeshis in the city, exploring their origins and expansion in the area.

Mr Pakes said: "Peterborough is an amazing city with a proud sense of community, and groups like the Peterborough Bangladesh Welfare Association embody this. I am proud of the work that the Peterborough Bangladesh Welfare Association does for the Bangladeshi community and the city.

"Our diversity of communities is our great strength as a city. I'd like to thank them for all of their hard work, and I look forward to the great things they will achieve in the future."

Dr. Aminul Chowdhury, chairman of the organisation, added: "The organisation has been working for the benefit of the Bangladeshi and BME communities since its formation in 2009.

"We have been undertaking mental health and wellbeing sessions for women, providing subsidised gym memberships, and hosting weekly badminton sessions for the community's wellbeing. In addition, we organise educational and cultural programmes.

"As part of our cultural programme, Bangladesh Victory Day is celebrated to commemorate the great heroes who sacrificed for the independence of Bangladesh in 1971. The victory was achieved on 16th December 1971. PBWA will continue to offer various services for the Bangladeshi and BME communities."