Bangladeshi community in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia celebrated Bengali New Year. To celebrate the occasion, Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah organized traditional Cake Festival and cultural function at consulate premises Friday. A number of diplomats, media persons and over 3,000 Bangladeshis attended the festival. Bangladeshi Consul General Golam Sarwar said, “Celebration of Bengali New Year is one of the important traditional events of our culture. I am happy that we celebrate this special day here in Jeddah as an exclusive colorful event”. Japanese Consul General Toshimitsu Ishigure attended the inauguration ceremony. He said, “We had never been to Bangladesh, but here we witnessed rich culture of Bangladesh and we enjoyed Bangladeshi food. It is the first time I join a different types of program so it is a memorable day for me. I am thank full to Bangladeshi people.” The Consul General of Korea, Dal-jun Han, said that he enjoyed the delicious Bangladeshi food. “It is a great opportunity for me to join Bangladeshi New Year festival with a large number of expatriates and know more about this country and its tradition,” he said. Saudi Gazette's senior editor Sameera Aziz joined the festival and mingled with her Bangladeshi fans who were very excited to see her. “I never witnessed such a huge crowd of Bangladeshis in Jeddah. I found them very loyal readers because they gave reference to their favorite stories when introduce to me. They remember each story of Saudi Gazette. Their love for us is precious,” she said. Alina Sayeed, a Bangladeshi expatriate woman in Jeddah, said that it was a great opportunity for her and her children to celebrate their own culture far away from homeland. “My two children were born in Saudi Arabia. They don't have enough knowledge about our culture. Through the New Year function (Pohela Boishakh) they learn more about our culture and country”. __
