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My kind of community in Dubai: Bangladeshis

Dubai - We love being together and we love eating together too.

 There may not be a single building in Dubai and the UAE that wasn't built by Bangladeshi hands, says Mohammed Noor, an expat who moved to Dubai in 1998 from the US. "Our countrymen have created this nation," says the residences director, Hyatt Regency Dubai and Galleria, who prefers Dubai to America. "Money is not everything," he says. "Life is also about the personal touch and the sense of togetherness. I came here (to Dubai) for two years, and have been here for 19!" The talk of community and sense of togetherness recurs in conversations with Bangladeshis. "There are at least 6,00,000 Bangladeshis in the UAE", says Dr A.K.M. Rafique Ahammed, commercial counsellor, Consulate General of Bangladesh. And the population, he says, is largely concentrated in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
 The general impression Bangladeshis have of themselves is that "we're kind, hard-working, social people. We love being together and we love eating together too.
"Some Bangladeshis though have a bone to pick with the media for supposedly, putting them on the backfoot, perception-wise, in portraying all Bangladeshis as construction workers and/or criminals. The complaint goes that no one speaks of the accomplishments - of the more than 100 engineers employed by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), of the Bangladeshi doctors, bankers, teachers, entrepreneurs, IT professionals and businessmen who've thrived here.
 Dr Reza Khan, principal wildlife specialist, Dubai Zoo/Safari, Dubai Municipality, says, as 80 per cent of Bangladeshis here are labourers, most non-Bangladeshis forget about the 20 per cent white-collar employees who work in high offices as teachers, scientists, physicians and engineers. "Their contributions go unrecognised.
The worst misconception about Bangladeshis is held and broadcast by news-papers. For example, when an Indian is involved in a crime the news says, an Asian was involved in the crime, whereas if it was committed by a Bangladeshi, the paper mentions the name of the Bangladeshi person, and if possible, the name of his village too!" According to the consulate in Dubai, UAE is one of Bangladesh's major trading partners with trade volumes of the two countries currently over US$1billion.
Major exports from Bangladesh to UAE are frozen fish, jute yarn and twine, knitwear, woven garments, vegetables, dry food, battery parts, etc. The saris are famous - the tangail silk, jamdani, taat, katan and the gorgeous nakshi kantha. Every-one's heard the story of how the finest silk muslin Bangladeshi sari can slide right through a ring. When Bangladeshi women go back home, it's not uncommon for other women to load them with requests to bring saris back for them. Bangladeshis are a very social bunch, with several occasions throughout the year to socialise and celebrate.
There are car rallies that happen. Every year on Dec 2, 150-160 members of the community drive up to Fujairah together. They also organise one of the biggest desert safaris, with 300-400 community members ever game to dune bash.
"We have a thriving community here," says Mohammad Nowsher Ali, a senior manager at Emirates Engineering, Emirates Airlines (who was born and brought up near the banks of the river Meghna and misses "its beauty, its water, its smell"). "We celebrate Eid, and all national and traditional events and festivals. Major ones are Eid, our National Day, Victory Day, International Mother's Language Day, Boishakhi (Bengali New Year), Bosonto Boron (welcoming spring), besides the annual picnics, weekend dawats, other get-togethers and mini-community events."
It's the reason why you will rarely meet a homesick Bangladeshi in UAE. They miss the rains, the greenery, and the six seasons back home, but all the socialising, community events and people here make UAE feel like home.
nivriti@khaleejtimes
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For the love of fresh water fish
By Milrina Martis, KT Intern
If you love freshwater fish, then the tangy and aromatic Bangladeshi cuisine is for you. Fish tends to cast an influence on most of their dishes, and needless to say, it finds its way into every meal in a Bangladeshi home. Rice is another favourite with them, followed by dal and vegetables. Chole, pakoras and samosas are what you'd find at a Bangladeshi Iftaar party, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. There's also piyajoo (a unique kind of onion pakoras), beguni (thin slices of eggplants dipped in gram flour batter and deep fried), muri (puffed rice), etc. Bangladeshis cook up a lavish meal to celebrate Boishakhi. They host various food festivals in Abu Dhabi and Dubai - these could be your best chance to taste traditional dishes like begun bhorta (eggplant), shutki (dried fish) and lobongo lotika (stuffed sweet). Or have a meal at Food Village, Al Nahda 1 (04239 8502).
milrina@khaleejtimes.com
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Let's get social: Little Bangladesh
Eleven years ago, Mohammad Hanif arrived in Dubai to make this city his home. Today, this 36-year-old works as an assistant manager at Al Ansari Exchange, Dubai Festival City, and says he's found his Little Bangladesh here. Hanif, who hails from Chittagong, runs a social media community page to bring Bangladeshis in the UAE together. Called 'Bangladesh community in UAE', it's his little attempt to keep the Banglas together. Though the page has only 2,900 Likes, he shares that the members meet up and bond outside the virtual world as well. "I created the page in 2012 and ever since it has served as a source of information and a forum - where we share both our memories and problems.
We also try to help one another and as a result no one is left feeling alone in a foreign land." Every summer, the group visits a construction site, "We distribute water and juice among the workers, and sit down and have a chat with them. It's our small effort of giving back to the community. The big smiles on their faces ensure we return each year." On December 16, Victory Day of Bangladesh, the group plans to meet up over a picnic in the desert. "We'll sing Bangla songs and enjoy good Bangla food with families and friends." Another day they don't fail to meet up is March 26, Bangladesh's Independence Day.
"I wanted to bring together my fellow Bangladeshis. There are times when we all miss the lives that we've left behind and in those moments simple things like being able to talk in one's language, eating food from our land, etc. helps." The group also hosts singing competitions for children, a much-looked forward to event. Well, a true blue Bangla has to know how to sing, right? Join them: facebook.com/BDCOMUAE- As told to Purva Grover