Open House celebrated at Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC

Enthusiastic foreigners and local residents, in thousands, visited Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC on Saturday (May 6) in celebration of the “Passport DC's Open House” programmes, an annual festival that commemorates the International Cultural Awareness Month.

The US Department of State proclaimed the event as International Cultural Awareness Month in May, says a press release. This was the 10th anniversary of Passport DC that celebrated the DC's thriving international community and its lively and varied culture with scores of international events and activities.

Visitors from all over the USA and other countries joined the Open House programmes at embassies organised in collaboration with Cultural Tourism DC, a Washington- based non-profit organisation.

The programmes were aimed at showcasing cultural diversity through holding of such events in liaison with the foreign embassies.

As many as 42 embassies from Asia, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East, and the Americas participated in the programmes with artists and artisans, performers, lecturers, teachers, and others provide a range of educational and cultural programming.

Throughout the day participants, braving drizzle experienced food, art, dance, fashion and music of different countries.

Bangladesh Embassy, in celebration of the day for the 10th consecutive year, organised a cultural show and other activities presenting Bangladesh's rich culture and heritage at the Bangabandhu auditorium.

Bangladesh Ambassador to the USA Mohammad Ziauddin and officials of the embassy welcomed the guests.

The Open House programmes included a display of Bangladesh's handicrafts, tourism destinations, historical places and cultural programme.

The embassy took the opportunity of showing Bangladeshi culture and heritage, its history of independence, contribution to the UN peacekeeping missions and current developments in potential sectors.