The Embassy organized a ‘Painting Competition’ among school students in collaboration with the Bangladesh-Nepal Friendship Society and Bangladesh Book Club at Shaheed Minar, Dhaka, today.

The competition was one of the events in a series held to mark the 50thanniversary of the establishment of Nepal-Bangladesh Diplomatic relations.

The competition was organized with a view to providing an opportunity to the students to explore new dimensions of Nepal-Bangladesh relations through their artworks. Broadly based on the theme of connecting Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal, the participants mainly portrayed mountains and cultural heritages of Nepal and Bangladesh in their paintings.

Around 300 students from twenty-five different schools in Dhaka participated in the competition. The participants were divided into three age groups: 5–8 years, 9–12 years, 13–16 years, and a group of participants with special abilities. The winners from each category received prizes and certificates from the Chief Guest of the program K M Khalid, MP, State Minister for Cultural Affairs of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

Speaking on the occasion, the State Minister recalled the close historical, cultural and linguistic linkages between Nepal and Bangladesh and commended the participants for their beautiful artworks. The enthusiasm and spirit of friendship evident in such participation of the large number of students symbolizes the ever-growing ties between our two countries, he stated.

Welcoming the guests and the participants, Ambassador Ghanshyam Bhandari said that art was an effective medium to explore our collective identity and strengthen the bonds between cultures and societies. He also said that the diverse artworks of the participants were reflective of the ‘organic link’ between the Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal.

Special Guest Director General of International Mother Language Institute Prof. Dr. Hakim Arif, President of Bangladesh Book Club Ambassador Mosud Mannan, and Chairman of Bangladesh-Nepal Friendship Society Mr. Moshiur Ahmed also spoke during the event. General Secretary of Bangladesh-Nepal Friendship Society Mr. Salauddin Kutu coordinated the competition.