BP Desk
A grand victory fair and cultural festival was held in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. Thousands of expatriates gathered for the day-long event organized by 'Kaja Do Bangladesh' at the 'Mercado de Culturas' hall in the heart of the city on Sunday.
The event was enthralled by the popular songs of Rahul Anand, vocalist of the song "Jole", UK-based artist Wahid, Italian-based artist Sraboni, local artist Shamsul Haque, and Mainul Islam.
Leaders of the organization, Kaza Do Bangladesh, said that this festival, on the occasion of the great Victory Day, showcases the culture of Bangladesh abroad.
The second edition of the Victory Festival has seen great enthusiasm among the expatriates. This Victory Festival is the biggest event for the Bangladeshi expatriates in Portugal.
The opening ceremony of the festival paid tribute to the martyrs by performing the national anthem, followed by the national anthem of Portugal.
Chief Advisor Rana Taslim Uddin delivered the welcome speech at the event, chaired by the organization's president Rony Hossain and moderated by General Secretary Shahid Ahmed Prince.
Golam Sarwar, Head of Mission of the Bangladesh Embassy in Portugal; João Jaime Pires, President of the local Junta Arias, and Rana Taslim Uddin, Chief Advisor were present on the occasion.
Masum Ahmed, Iqbal Hossain Kanchan, Hafiz Al Asad, and Shaheen Ahmed of Kaza Do Bangladesh were also present at the inaugural ceremony.
One of the attractions of the Bijoy Mela was music, dance, poetry recitation and patriotic songs.
The entire venue became festive with the performances of expatriate artists. Rahul Anand, an artist who studied in France, sang at an event in Europe for the first time.
In addition, the fair had stalls displaying traditional Bangladeshi clothing, handicrafts, rural cultural artifacts, and local food, which particularly attracted visitors. A raffle draw was held at the end of the event.
According to expatriates who participated in the festival, Lisbon has never seen such a large-scale Bijoy Mela and cultural festival. Noticias Bangla was the local broadcasting partner for the Bijoy Mela.
