By Arifah Chowdhury, BA Politics and International Relation
SOAS Bangla Society’s objective is to embrace, empower and educate the Bengali culture within the larger SOAS community. This is a space for both Bengalis and non-Bengalis to be able to explore and interact with the rich culture that Bangladesh and its people have to offer. Whether it’s regional politics, poetry, art or food, we aim to allow students to be able to share their love and appreciation for Bengali culture.
‘Our most recent event, the Charity Games Night, was held to raise money for the Rohingya crisis.’
One of our most recent events was the Charity Games Night held on 19 November. The Games Night was held to raise money for the Rohingya crisis, in collaboration with the charity Restless Beings. Restless Beings is a UK based non-profit, non-political, international human rights charity supporting some of the world’s most marginalised communities.
The Rohingya are one of the most oppressed communities in the world, having been prosecuted by the Burmese government and military for 60 years. In 2017, one million people fled from Burma to Bangladesh for safety. Rohingya refugees are currently living in the world’s largest and congested refugee camps. The Charity Games Night fundraising will help provide better living conditions for Rohingya refugees who emigrated to the camps.
During the charity games night, we played a range of games including cup pong, skittles and chopstick challenge, Mr Naga Forfeit, mafia, musical chairs, red light green light, limbo and khanamasi. Khanamasi is a popular Bengali children’s game and it is played with someone being blindfolded and catching the people surrounding them, similar to Blind Man’s Bluff. The event had an amazing turnout, and we are grateful for all those who attended and helped fundraise for such a good cause!
Caption: Poster for the Banglasoc Charity games night (credit: SOAS Bangla Soc)