India’s Yoga Day celebration draws ‘record 10,000’ enthusiasts in Dhaka

The High Commission of India says a record 10,000 enthusiasts joined and practised yoga on the International Yoga Day at Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka.

Earlier the record turnout was around 5,000 last year.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Qader was the chief guest at Thursday’s celebration organised by the mission.

The celebrations began with the screening of a video message of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President M Abdul Hamid.

Sports associations, yoga associations and institutes, students from various schools, intellectually challenged children, colleges and universities in Dhaka and outside, Bangladesh Scouts joined in the celebrations.

Several celebrities from culture, sports and media also took part in the event.

Mumpy Dey, teacher of Indian Culture at Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre or IGCC, conducted the Common Yoga Protocol.

Demonstration of yoga asanas were also performed by yoga students of the IGCC and other yoga institutes in Dhaka.

At the end of the event, a lucky draw was held.

Winners received a Tata Tiago car, a Bajaj motorcycle, a holiday package to a destination in India, a trip to Delhi for a couple and a hospitality package for a couple in a five-star hotel in Dhaka.

The first prize - a Tata Tiago - was won by Md Khairul Hassan Khan.

India proposed the day at the UN which was endorsed by a total of 175 nations, the highest number for any UN resolution.

The day has been celebrated across the world since June 21, 2015 as it was endorsed on Dec 11, 2014.

Similar events were also organised by the assistant high commissions of India in Rajshahi and Chittagong.

Various other yoga organisations and institutes also organised separate programmes to mark the International Yoga Day.