'Banglar Mela' is the biggest gathering of Bengalis in Spain.

The biggest gathering of Bengalis 'Banglar Mela 2024' was held in Barcelona, ​​Spain. A large number of Bangladeshis participated in the fair held on Saturday (July 13) from 7 pm to midnight at Maqba Square adjacent to Raval, a Bengali-dominated area of ​​the city.

Mohammad Sarwar Mahmud, Ambassador of Bangladesh to Spain, was the chief guest at the fair organized by the local Bangladeshi organization 'Association Cultural e Humanitarian de Bangladesh in Catalonia'.

In the opening ceremony of the fair held under the chairmanship of the president of the Association Cultural and Humanitarian de Bangladesh and Catalonia Alauddin Haq and the management of the general secretary Shafiq Khan, the councilor of the Bangladesh Embassy was present among others. Motasimul Islam, Honorary Councilor of Bangladesh in Barcelona Ramon Pedro Bernaus, Senior Officer of the local City Corporation Ivan Pera, Spain Bangla Press Club and top leaders of the local Bangladeshi community. With the guests of the fair, the president of the organizing organization Alauddin Haque and chief advisor Nazrul Islam Chowdhury cut the ribbon and started the formalities of the fair. Then the national anthem of Bangladesh was performed.

When Bangladeshi music artist Asif Akbar came to the fair stage during the cultural phase, the entire Maqba Square was filled to the brim. Asif Akbar's soulful songs danced and the expatriates rejoiced. Also performing music were Bangladeshi artists Manju Swapan, Zeenat Shafiq, Ahona Diwa, Raju Ghazi, Varsha, Shubo, Tanmoy and Ami, who are local to Barcelona and live in Europe. Bangladeshi child artists born in Barcelona and Kolkata dance troupe performed the dance.

Bengalis from Barcelona and neighboring cities flocked to participate in this Bengali Mela, one of the festivals of Bengali culture in Spain. In the presence of women, men, children and teenagers, the Maqba Square is the biggest gathering of Bengalis in Spain, so it has become a small part of Bangladesh. In the stalls of the fair, there were all kinds of Bengali traditional Pithapuli, Phuchka, Chatapti, Jhalmuri, and Sweets. There was a crowd of expatriate Bangladeshis at every stall to taste the Bengali food.