Cultural Advisor Farooki vows to rename government cell named 'Small Ethnic Communities Cell'

“I personally don’t like the word; I don’t pronounce the word,” he says

Cultural Affairs Advisor Mostafa Sarwar Farooki has pledged to rename a government unit currently titled the “Small Ethnic Communities Cell”.

Speaking at the Biju Mela, a cultural fair held at Shakyamuni Buddhist Temple in Mirpur on Thursday, Farooki said: “I have been informed here that there is a ‘Small Ethnic Communities Cell’ under my ministry. I personally don’t like the word; I don’t pronounce the word.”

“I hope we can change it [name of the cell] before we go.”

The advisor emphasised the importance of inclusivity in the nation’s cultural landscape.

“Bangladesh belongs to all of us. All ethnic groups should be able to participate. May we all walk together,” he said.

The remarks came during the opening of the Biju Mela, a three-day fair celebrating the Biju festival, which marks the new year for several indigenous communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

Organised by the Dhaka-based Hill Entrepreneurs Small Business Cooperative Society Limited, the fair is being held in the capital for the first time.

Running from 10am to 8pm daily, the event features 25 stalls showcasing ingredients, crafts, and traditional foods unique to the region’s indigenous cultures.