Pakistani, Bangladeshi expats join celebrations in Wakrah

By Salman Siddiqui/Staff Reporter

A large number of Pakistani and Bangladeshi community members celebrated Qatar’s National Day with fervour and respect at Al Wakrah Sports Club yesterday.

The day began with the national anthem of Qatar. Colonel Abdullah Khalifa al-Muftah, director of Ministry of Interior’s Public Relations Department, and other ministry officials visited the venue.

The Qatar National Day celebrations were held under the ‘One Love’ theme this year, highlighting the bond shared between Qataris and expatriates, who have made Qatar their home away from home.

While a large number of residents and families from Wakrah area also turned up at the sports club, many workers from the Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities had also been bussed in especially to the venue.

Bangladeshi expatriate Krishna, a carpenter in a company in Qatar for the last one year, said he was very happy to be celebrating the National Day. “We get free food and entertainment, what’s there not to like,” he said.

All participants and guests were treated to food and drinks for free throughout the programme which started at 8am and carried on until late in the night.

Bangladeshi national Mohamed Amin Hussain, a driver, said that he has been living in Qatar for the last three years. “Honestly, this place is even better than Dubai, where I have also worked,” he said.

Most of the workers are away from their families for an extended period of time and work long hours, but events such as the National Day provide them with a once in a blue moon opportunity for entertainment.

“When I see those school children performing on stage, I remember my own daughter in school in Bangladesh and it really makes me very happy,” Hussain added.

Pakistani community member Fawad Haider, who has been living in Qatar for the last four years, was dressed in his traditional Pakistani dress shalwar kameez and cap.

“I’m really having a great time with my friends and family here. This programme shows that Qatar has not forgotten community members who make a very important contribution in their country,” he said.

Early morning, students from the Pakistan Education Centre, Bangladesh MHM School, Bhavan’s Public School, Bright Future Pakistani International School, DPS – Modern Indian School, The Next Generation school and others presented parades and cultural songs and shows on stage.

The cultural shows also continued in the evening during which Pakistani and Bangladeshi music artists also performed.

‘We will be with you Qatar,’ a song prepared by the PEC students, and Bhavan’s “Hum Saath Hein Tou Kia Darna [What’s to fear if we are all together] proved to be popular and was applauded by the crowd.

Thematic shows about Qatar were presented by each community teams that lasted for around seven minutes for each show. Around 10 songs in different languages of the communities were also presented.

Football and volleyball matches were also arranged inside the stadium. Pakistan beat Bangladesh team 6-1 in the football match held between 9am and 12pm, whereas in volleyball matches held between 8am and 6pm, the Indian team beat the Egyptian team and reached the finals.

A medical camp organised by the Naseem al Rabeeh Medical Centre was also present, which conducted free blood and sugar testing to the people.

Later, in the afternoon, a special Harley-Davidson motorbike show was also held in which about a 100 bikes participated. This was specially a big hit among the children, who all dreamed of owning those dream machines once they grow up.