The Swadhinata Trust celebrate its silver jubilee at Queen Mary

News desk
shottobani

Londonঃ The Swadhinata Trust celebrated its year-long programme with an opening event, the anniversary Mela at the world-renowned Russel group institution, Queen Mary University of London, on 5 March 2025. The 25th anniversary celebration Mela was a collaboration with students from the Queen Mary University of London.

The event included Bengali board games, stand-up comedy from Mohaimen Quaunine and Shofa Miah, a film screening of the Altab Ali Story with a Q&A with Julie Begum, the launch of the redesigned website, books and pamphlets, an exhibition, and an exclusive interview with boxer Ruqsana Begum.

The mela was held at the Arts One Building, QMUL, Mile End, on 5 March 2025, from 4pm to 6pm. As the mini mela coincided with Ramadhan, a traditional Iftar meal was served to end the day’s event, and a cake was cut by Julie Begum, Chairperson of Swadhinata Trust, and the students who worked on the event.

Opening remarks were made by Ansar Ahmed Ullah, Director, Swadhinata Trust, Alex Mehta Brown, Arts & Culture Manager, QM Centre for Creative Collaboration, Prof John Eade, Patron, Swadhinata Trust. The speakers informed the audience of Swadhinata Trust, a community-based Bengali organisation that promotes Bengali history and heritage to young people and wider communities. It recently moved its base to the world-famous Queen Mary University of London. In the last 25 years, It has been working with the community and academia since November 2000, offering seminars, workshops, exhibitions and educational literature to young Bengali people in schools, colleges, youth clubs and community centres in the United Kingdom. The Trust is keen to continue its activities and events and design and implement new projects in partnership with stakeholders.