It was a weekend afternoon in April when Dozens of Bangladeshi students gathered together in a dormitory at the Zhejiang University Zijingang Campus. They were enjoying handmade traditional Bangladeshi delicacies while singing. Without instruments, they could only drum on their desks to keep the rhythm. The pleasant atmosphere was not affected at all.

They are members of the Association for Bangladeshi Students and Scholars at Zhejiang University including undergraduates, postgraduates, doctoral students, postdoctoral candidates and visiting scholars.

Imrul is now president of the association. In 2014, Imrul thought of setting up an association of Bangladeshi students. By then, he had studied and lived in China for four years.When he came to China to study for his doctorate in 2010, he was the only Bangladeshi student at Zhejiang University. Today, more than twenty other students have come to Zhejiang University. “I thought that maybe I should set up a small organization to help these students quickly adapt to the life in China,” Imrul recalled.

After more than two years of development, the association has recruited some 30 members. Imrul has got his doctorate and is now pursuing his postdoctoral degree. Every year there are new members joining and old ones leaving the association, but the friendship among  all of them remains unchanged.

Imrul explains, “I set up the association so that members can help each other. By celebrating Bangladeshi New Year, the Eid and other festivals, we can find our cultural and spiritual ballast in China. In addition, the new members every year can receive advice from us. We help them with visa applications, health care and other issues. We’ve also set up a Facebook group to introduce Zhejiang University to more Bangladeshi students.We can help them apply to study here if they like.”

After the interview, everybody in the association posed smiling and happy for a photo. In this group of Bangladeshi students at Zhejiang University, we can feel the charm of their national culture. And they can also feel Chinese people’s hospitality and Hangzhou’s beauty. (CRI)