Turkish whirling dervishes perform in Bangladesh

BANGLADESH – Anadolu Agency

The Turkish embassy of Bangladesh and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) hosted the traditional ceremony of Sufi whirling dervishes on the night of Feb. 24 at the Dhaka Shilpakala Academy.

In collaboration with the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry and the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka, the Allama Rumi Society of Bangladesh and the Hatkhola Foundation have jointly organized the three-day-long Second International Sufi Festival.

Addressing the ceremony of whirling dervishes, Turkish Ambassador to Dhaka Devrim Öztürk explained the significance of the ceremony and Rumi’s philosophy.

“Sufism is a message of love, universal love. This is the second Sufi festival in Bangladesh but it is a shared philosophy for Muslims all over the world. It is the common wealth between the Turkish people and the Bangladeshi people, so we are really glad our team has attended this significant festival.” said Öztürk.

“Actually, this festival was initiated a year ago. It was held in Chittagong and this time it is held in Dhaka,” said Syed Rezaul Karim, adviser of the Allama Rumi Society of Bangladesh.

“Mevlana Rumi is very popular in Bangladesh and all over the world, in fact. All the religious clerics here who have studied in madrasa, school or university know about Rumi, who has become more significant in today’s world because of the conflict and hatred among people,” said Karim.