Calgary’s Bengali community celebrates new year

Members of Calgary’s Bengali community dress in red and white as they usher in the New Year with music and food.

The Rajveer Banquet Hall in northeast Calgary was awash in red and white Friday night as the city’s Bengali community celebrated its new year.

There was singing, dancing, food, a fashion show and a marketplace, said Shuvro Das, the general secretary of Bangladesh Association of Canada, Calgary branch.

“Red and white are the two symbolic colors (of Bengali culture), so you see the people mostly wearing red and white,” said Das.

He explained that the community has been hosting its New Year celebration since 1971.

“We share our culture, our heritage, and also we want to share all the tradition with Canadians,” said Kois Chowdhury, the president of the Bangladesh Canada Association of Calgary.

“We believe in that diversity, and we have to share our value with the other Canadians too, and we like to know each other with our culture and tradition.”

The celebration featured a performance by Bengali singer Doly Shaontoni.