This is an important event that will highlight the enormous contribution the Bangladeshi community makes to the cultural, social and economic life of the United Kingdom. The Right Honourable Tony Blair, MP Patron-in-Chief	It gives me immense pleasure to know that Arts Worldwide has undertaken the wonderful job of projecting Bangladesh in the entirety of its culture and heritage to the people of the United Kingdom. The Honourable Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minster, People's Republic of Bangladesh Patron-in-Chief
Photo: Colin Palmer
Welcome to the Arts Worldwide Bangladesh Festival, Europe's largest ever celebration of arts and culture from this fascinating country. On behalf of all involved in the Festival we are delighted to invite you to the host of events which will take place in London and beyond from 7 to 25 July 1999. Take a fresh look at Bangladesh. The Festival presents the sights and sounds which make this country unique, from traditional saffron-robed singers, storytellers and hill tribe dancers to contemporary poetry and poignant cinema. Check out the latest British Asian visual arts and music; sample the exquisite textiles and traditional paintings of Bangladesh; and savour some of its fabulous dishes in our Food Festival as Bengali cuisine comes of age. The Festival presents all this and more, providing a unique opportunity to look beyond the usual media images of Bangladesh and to understand the culture and pride of a people whose country came into existence only 28 years ago. Anne Hunt, Festival Director
Patrons: His Excellency Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, Minister of Civil Aviation & Tourism His Excellency Mr. A. H. Mahmood Ali, Bangladeshi High Commissioner to the UK His Excellency Mr. David Walker, CMG, CVO, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Mr. A. S. F. Rahman, Chairman, Beximco Lord Shore of Stepney Baroness Paula Uddin of Bethnal Green The Worshipful Mayor of Tower Hamlets

FREE Special Events
Opening Celebrations Banglatown 11 July	Dhabi's Story: A Tale from the Time of Truth Schools' MusicaL Allen Gardens 7 - 11 July	Bengali Bites day time family event Barbican Centre 18 July
Music Events
Banglatown Sounds DJ Competition Davenant Centre 11 July	Festival Club 333 Club 11 July	The Heart of Bangladesh concert Queen Elizabeth Hall 15 July
The Soul of Bangladesh music and dance York Hall 17 July	Asian Dub Foundation Barbican Centre 18 July	Mystical Voices with Farida Parveen & Bidit Lal Das Cabot Hall, Canary Wharf 22 July
Poetry and Storytelling
By Land, By River: A Celebration of Rabindranath Tagore North Westminster Community School 9 July	The Rebel Poet: Kobi Nazrul Islam (with Nilufer Yasmin) Curtain Theatre, Toynbee Hall 10 July	The Living Word: Palagan & Patuagan Storytelling Studio Theatre, North Westminster 13 July
Feast the Senses Patuagan storytelling and dinner The Spitz 14 July	The Living Word: Palagan & Patuagan Storytelling Watermans Arts Centre 16 July	Language of a Nation: Contemporary Poets The Spitz 21 July
Film
Weekend Film Focus ICA 23 - 25 July
Exhibitions
The Living Arts of Bangladesh: jamdani weaves and kantha embroideries Soni Gallery 8 - 31July	Off the Streets - multimedia installations various sites and spaces 9 - 30 July	000 zerozerozero Whitechapel Art Gallery 9 - 31 July
Telling the Story - scroll paintings by Shambhu Acharya The Spitz 11 - 25 July	Reflections: water and life in Bangladesh Association of Photographers Gallery 12 - 25 July
Cuisine
The True Heritage Cuisine of Bangladesh selected restaurants in Banglatown and London-wide 8 - 25 July
Education Programme
Illustrated talks, workshops, demonstrations, guided tours and participatory events venues around London 8 - 25 July
Festival on Tour
Selected artists selected regional venues 3 July - 1 August
For information on the Arts Worldwide Bangladesh Festival and other Arts Worldwide activities: Festival Hotline: 0171 354 4141 Press and Media enquiries: 0171 359 9389 Arts Worldwide reserves the right to change the programme. Click here to see our sponsors!

Festival team: Anne Hunt Festival Director Adam Jeanes General Manager Charles McCallum Festival Manager Razia Newaz Shariff Community Programme Co-ordinator Mahjabeen Khan Festival Co-ordinator, Bangladesh Marie Clements Press & Marketing Manager Katinka Czekelius Assistant Festival Manager Kazi Ruksana Begum Assistant Community Programme Co-ordinator Mahita El Bacha Urieta Educational Events Co-ordinator Victoria Burns Touring Sania Choudhury, Hanea Khan, Sheikh Khairun Nessa Tipu Shamsu Uddin Community Events Team Dixie Production Manager Debra Ashton Press & Marketing Assistant Ahsan Habib Assistant Festival Co-ordinator, Bangladesh Eleanor Jupp Co-ordinator Off The Streets - Multimedia Installation Alan Bond, Barry Mazur, Marise Rose Site Designers Maria Beddoes, Kristen Ekeland, Paul Khera Graphic Design David Cannie, Paul S. Davis, P. Angelica Fernando, Ché Molava at Trafalgar Square 2000 webmasters Charlotte Crace Website Designer

Arts Worldwide Board of Directors: Gavin Henderson Chairman Susan Conway Bill McAlister Michael Noonan Stephen Rose Mary Slawson Angela Skinner Secretary Advisory groups: Community Involvement Sunahwar Ali, Cllr Abdul Asad, Shofiqur Rahman Choudhury, Anwar Chowdhury, Rajon Uddin Jalal, Mohammed Abdul Rohim Business Shahabuddin Chanchal, Maruf A. Chowdhury, Shahagir Bakth Faruk, Mahmoud A. Rouf, Forid Uddin Restaurant Toymus Ali, Kois Chowdhury, Nuzmul Islam Niru, A. M. Surab Ali, Abdul Ali Rouf, Sherajul Haque Sheraz, Riaz Uddin Artists Ruhun Chowdhury, Manna Haque, Nurul Islam, Dr. Fazal Mahmood, Golam Mostafa, M.A. Rashid, Ansar Ullah

With thanks to: Syed Badrul Ahsan, Shahidul Alam and everyone at Drik Picture Library, Arts & the Islamic World, Famida Bakht, Bangla Academy, Bangladesh British Chamber of Commerce, Bangladesh Centre, Bangladesh High Commission (London), Bangladesh Institute of Theatre Arts, Bangladesh Welfare Association, Banglatown Business Association, Banglatown Restaurant Association, Board of Investment (Bangladesh), British High Commission (Dhaka), Chattagram Samity UK, Daily Star (Dhaka), Dhaka University, Department for International Development, East London Partnership, Peter Fowler, Greater London Bangladesh Caterers Association, Government of Bangladesh, Ziaul Karim, Warren Lakin, LATC, National Film Archives (Dhaka), National Museum (Dhaka), Sheikh Rehana, Nabi Newaz Shariff, Spitalfields Town Management, London Borough of Tower Hamlets' Arts & Leisure Services, Education and Corporate Training Departments, Travel Link, Union Bank of Switzerland