'Journeys Within' photo exhibition to launch on Friday 17 June

The three-week ‘Journeys Within’ photography exhibition by accomplished visual artist Shumon Ahmed will launch at the BAGHA Club at 19:00 on Friday 17 June. The images have been taken during Ahmed’s travels through Denmark, the United Kingdom and Bangladesh. They are explorations of the outside world and reflections of the self.

The event will include complimentary finger food. Cheers.

Bring an expat club card to enter.

Shumon Ahmed

Shumon Ahmed is a visual artist from Bangladesh, born in Dhaka in 1976. In spring 2008, he journeyed to Denmark to study photojournalism at the preeminent Danish School of Journalism. In 2009, he graduated in photography studies at the renowned Patshala South Asian Media Academy in Dhaka.

His works have run in print and online publications, and they have been featured in Asia’s biggest biennial photo festival, the Chobi Mela, in 2009, as well as the ‘150 Years of Photography from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh’ landmark exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery in London and the Fotomuseum in Zurich in 2010.

Shumon lives in Dhaka, and aside from teaching photography at Pathshala, works freelance while exploring the fusion between video and photography to vividly tell stories that are profoundly private and communal at the same time.

The BAGHA Entertainment Expo 2011 is coming to you on Friday 6 May!

The BAGHA is preparing a massive entertainment expo and wants you there! Restaurants, tour operators, spas, and social groups will be showcasing their services to you in fun and creative ways.

Meanwhile, some awesome entertainers will be putting on one of the great shows of the year! Max Mystel, a magician coming to us from London, will be moving around the venue with his unique blend of street magic, card tricks and comedy.

The phenomenal Pandu White blues ensemble, fronted by Seth Blumberg, a former guitarist for Ike Turner, will be back for what should be another mind-blowing performance.

And finally, the renowned DJ Simon will be there to lead us through the rest of what we hope is an epic evening.

So come on. Sample the exquisite foods of Wasabi. Get your head massaged by reps of the Sawasdee Health Care Spa. Purchase wonderful toys from Pebble. Check out the river cruises with Contic Tours. And then get ready to laugh, dance, socialise and party.

This event is about connecting you with the good times around you. Help us make it big.

The event grounds open at 19:00
Entry is 500 taka
The gate closes at midnight
Entry is for people with expatriate club cards

Announcing BAGHA Unplugged November 2010

Our first Unplugged event in June received an awesome response, with tunes that ranged from the soulful to the upbeat to the positively hilarious. It was so successful that we decided to do it again in August.

We were amazed. More than 150 people came to show their love for great music, great food and cocktails. And so, we are bringing back Unplugged for you on Thursday 11 November.

Expect three hours of music, a two-hour Happy Hour, Tex-Mex barbeque, and a midnight raffle with great prizes. This is pretty much everything you need for a good time. All you need to do is show up early to grab a seat and a table.

To make sure you can be part of the event, we suggest you pick up tickets (on sale from tonight) as soon as possible.

This Unplugged event is particularly special because it is a celebration of the annual, worldwide United Nations “Universal Children’s Day”. The JAAGO Foundation children’s charity has challenged people to organize fundraising events that will help the 280 underprivileged children at the JAAGO School in Rayer Bazar near Dhanmondi.

BAGHA Unplugged November 2010 is our answer to that challenge.

Our Unplugged events are about relaxing, singing, sharing the love of music with friends, and eating food cooked under the stars. There is no simpler, better way to enjoy life.

Don't miss BAGHA Unplugged November 2010.

~Tickets are 400 taka (BBQ separate). Funds will go to the JAAGO Foundation children’s charity.
~Show an expat club card to enter.

Announcing unique day trips for BAGHA members

Bangladesh offers some unforgettable entertainment experiences, though finding them can be a challenge because of a lack of info and advertising. To make things easier, we are bringing entertainment to you in the form of day trips. Join us for our first, a sunset cruise with Contic River Cruises, on Saturday 16 October.

For more info about Contic, check out its Facebook page or Wikipedia article. Contic’s flagship is the B613, a luxurious, 92-foot wooden boat that boasts the largest sails in Bengal. For a glowing review about the sunset cruise on the B613, click here.

Vans will pick us up from the BAGHA at 15:00 on Saturday. We will then travel on an hour’s journey eastward to Savar, where we will first enjoy a tour of the Tara Tari shipyard. Some French engineers there will give us a tour and tell us about their groundbreaking work in Bangladesh.

After the tour, we will board the B613. It includes six double cabins, bathrooms, a kitchen, a great roof and an ever greater deck. Over the course of a few hours, you will have a chance to catch a glimpse of river life, watch the sun go down, and, finally, enjoy a fantastic feast.

We will then return to the boat yard, jump back in the vans, and be back at the BAGHA by 21:30.

The sunset cruise is a wonderful experience. Roughly half of the 30 available tickets are already gone, so move fast.

We hope this will be the start of many, many extraordinary day trips. In the meantime, if you are looking for what else is on offer in this beautiful country, we suggest a copy of the Bangladesh: Bradt Travel Guide. It is fantastic. If you are looking for something online, check out the Been There: Bangladesh Facebook page.

Learn about the next big BAGHA idea: Unplugged

In June, we hosted Colours: a film exhibition, barbeque and unplugged music event. The tunes ranged from the soulful to the upbeat to the positively hilarious. It received such a great response that we are hosting something similar again.

So, get ready for Unplugged. This time round, the music will start earlier, and the theme of the barbeque will be Tex Mex. We suggest that you arrive early (around 19:30) for a good seat, as things will get very busy very quickly.

We think we may be on to a winning formula here here. Great food. Great drink. Great music. And a worthy cause to support. If this event works out as well as the last, we will turn these unplugged music nights into regular monthly features, as the demand for this kind of chilled-out entertainment appears to be tremendous.

Once again, tickets are 400 taka (BBQ separate). Funds will go to the JAAGO Foundation children’s charity. Please help us spread the word.

Hurry for a chance to join the Colours worldwide film festival!

Join us on Saturday 26 June, when we will host another exhibition of short films to help Big Blue Entertainment and Future Shorts Bangladesh raise funds for the JAAGO Foundation children's charity. The event will include unplugged music, a barbeque, a raffle, and the screening of the World Cup matches. We expect a busy, enjoyable evening.

Tickets are 400 taka (the barbeque is separate). The show will begin at 19:00. Great films, great music, great food. Space is limited downstairs for the films, so move quickly.

Thanks in advance to our raffle sponsors: Ms. Hiro Hisabayashi; Re:Fit fitness studio; Radisson Water Garden; Izumi; Contic Tours; and Nazimgarh Resorts.

Future Shorts is a a worldwide film festival as well as a distributor, sales agent, consultancy service and DVD label. It is recognised by filmmakers, the industry and press alike as the cutting-edge short film label. Its international network currently comprises of more than 60 cities and 18 countries worldwide conducting regular Future Shorts screenings. Future Shorts Exhibition aims to provide an alternative cinematic experience, where screenings are often accompanied by other multimedia elements including live music and rescores, performers and installations. Future Shorts Bangladesh is headed by film director Oniket Alam.

31 days of non-stop, big-screen World Cup 2010 action

The BAGHA Club recently purchased two flat-screen televisions in preparation for theWorld Cup 2010, which will start on Friday 11 June and finish on Sunday 11 July. We enthusiastically look forward to a busy month of fun and football-focused frenzy.

The opening matches will see the home team, South Africa compete against Mexico, and Argentina compete against Nigeria, starting at 20:00 local time. You are warmly invited to the BAGHA Club on this first day of football. A Quiz Night will take place downstairs, too, so we anticipate a nice crowd.

England will play its first match, against the United States, at 00:30 local time on Sunday 13 June. England will play its second match, against Algeria, at 00:30 on Saturday 19 June.

Click here for a full list of the schedule on FIFA.com.

Who wants to wear a silly hat for a great cause?

On Thursday 22 April, the BAGHA Club will host an evening of silliness to help raise money for the JAAGO Foundation children's charity. The idea is simple: bring some silly headgear, and be ready for an evening of pure fun and laughs.

The event will include performances from DJs Ryan and Shezzane, two young and respected artists who have collaborated in the past. Also included are a raffle for great prizes, a burger bar, and a photo booth.

The event will begin at 21:00 and end at 2:00 (last entry is 23:30). All proceeds will go to the JAAGO Foundation.

Joining in the Strange Love worldwide film festival

For the first time, the BAGHA will act as host of a monthly worldwide film festival that is organised by Future Shorts, the world's largest short film network. Short films that revolve around the title theme of Strange Love will be shown over 70-80 minutes. Some will make you think, some will make you laugh, and some will make you squirm in your seat. That’s the idea.

Future Shorts is a short film network, a festival and a DVD label. It accepts submissions from film directors around the world and creates fascinating compilations each month based on one theme. Future Shorts Bangladesh is the local chapter of this worldwide organisation.

Once again, funds from the event will be donated to the JAAGO Foundation children’s charity.

Sponsors this time round include Etihad Airways, Contic Tours, the Radisson Water Garden Hotel, the Re:Fit fitness studio and the Vietnamese Le Saigon restaurant.

Big Blue Entertainment is providing ad support.

Tickets are 400 taka. Don’t miss it.

18 reasons to join our European Brunch

On Friday 27 March, we will host a European Brunch downstairs from 11:00 for anyone who is welcome. The selection of food from our chefs is wonderful, and we hope you will join us for this experimental event with your friends and family. The buffet will be available from 11:00 until 2:00. Eat as much as you like for only 600 taka.

Finger foods: Baguette, Banderillas Of Pickled Onions & Olives, British Cucumber-Mint Sandwich Bites, Chilled Lettuce & Tomatoes, Platter Of Roasted Peppers, Roasted Garlic Cloves, Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Marinated Olives

Accompaniments: Olive tapenade, Lemon-Basil Pesto, Balsamic Vinegar & Olive Oil

German Potato Salad, Mediterranean Chicken Salad

Spaghetti, Stuffed Peppers, Stuffed Tomatoes

British Scones, Swiss Chocolate Truffles

Order tickets today for round two of our gourmet Sampler Dinner

Our chefs are ready for another sampler dinner! Join us on Wednesday 18 March for the chance to try out a wonderful range of dishes that will be on offer. Please purchase tickets in advance so we have an idea of how much food to prepare.

Apple, Pineapple & Mint Juice
Cheddar, Leek & Potato Soup
Crispy Green Salad With Lemon-Garlic-Mustard Vinaigrette
Potato Skins With Salsa & Cumin-Garlic Yoghurt
Jamaican-Style Jerk Chicken With Pineapple Sauce
Chocolate & Cointreau Truffles

We cannot wait.

Guaranteed good times as we celebrate 30 years of operations

The BAGHA Club was established in 1979 by representatives of the Overseas Development Authority, now known as the Department for International Development [DFID]. On Friday 6 March 2009, it will celebrate 30 years of rich, colourful history.

We expect 250-300 visitors, who will enjoy some quick speeches about the Club and some amusing statistics about how many members have passed through the Club and how many drinks have passed through our members, etc, followed by music from The Jazzy Chopsticks at 9. Then at 11, DJ Simon will begin dance set that will include music from 1979 to the present. Somewhere in between, we will host a raffle for some great prizes.

The BAGHA is here because of its staff and its members. Some of them have been with us for the entire 30 years! For those individuals, we will be giving away some special Ironman prizes before the party really kicks off.

A burger & hot dog stand will sell well-priced, filling and fantastic foods throughout the night. Veggie options will be available.

Tickets are on sale at our upstairs bar for 700 taka. Pick some up for you, your friends and colleagues. On the night, we will sell event t-shirts, the proceeds of which, along with the proceeds from the raffle ticket sales, will go into the Club's charity fund. Help us spread the word.

If you'd like more info about the event, please call 881 4644 or email manager@baghaclub.com

~19:30 reception

~quick speeches from honoured guests

~prizes for the longest-standing staff and members

~21:00 performance by The Jazzy Chopsticks

~raffle for some wonderful prizes

~23:00 DJ Simon dance set of music from 1979 to the present

~burger & hot dog stand

Event follow-up written on 8 March 2008...

The BAGHA Club enjoyed a wonderful 30th anniversary celebration on Friday 6 March. Roughly 250 guests attended and enjoyed a performance by well-known band The Jazzy Chopsticks and DJ Simon. Mike Hughes, who will soon be leaving the country after 10 years, was our Master Of Ceremonies and offered some incredibly amusing statistics related to the Club's history.

It was a wonderful, wonderful evening.

Don't miss a chance to dine in style at our first gourmet Sampler Dinner

On Saturday 10 January, the BAGHA will host its first gourmet Sampler Dinner. Our chefs will offer a selection of wonderful new dishes that primarily comprise local, natural, fresh ingredients. The items that receive the best response will be added to our a la carte menu. Tickets are only 600 taka.

Take a look at the menu. If you are interested, get in touch with the office before Wednesday.

Apple, Pineapple & Mint Juice

Pumpkin, Lemongrass & Ginger Soup

Green Salad With Pineapple-Honey Vinaigrette

Prawns In Lime, Garlic & Coriander

Spicy Chicken Shawarma With Mint Yoghurt

Banana Spring Rolls

Look back at what happened here in 2008: lots of good memories

Friday 11 January

Welcome Back To Dhak-aargh!

Friday 25 January

Burns Supper

Thursday 14 February

Valentine's Day Party

Saturday 15 March

St. Paddy's Celebration

Thursday 10 April

An Arabian Night

Friday 25 April

Four Men & A Dog concert

Wednesday 21 May

Champions' League Final

Friday 30 May

pool,food&musicBASH

Saturday 31 May

Annual General Meeting

Friday 20 June

Summer Solstice

Thursday 7 August

From the BHC to the BAGHA

Thursday 21 August

Funky Hat Party

Friday 26 September

The BAGHA Club Texas Hold 'Em Poker Tournament

Friday 5 September

Mikey Leung & Belinda Meggitt Photo Exhibition

Friday 12 September

Kickback

Thursday 25 September

Steak Night

Friday 24 October

Duplex

Friday 31 October

Halloween Special

Saturday 1 November

Kings Of The Cage futsal tournament

Saturday 8 November

POOLside

Thursday 13 November

iBagha

Tuesday 18 November

Kebab Night

Friday 21 November

Stop The Traffic chocolate fondue party

Wednesday 3 December

Development Dinner

Thursday 4 December

Girls' Night Out

Wednesday 24 December

Deshi Wonderland

Celebrating diversity at the Around The World event

We are organising this event to celebrate the diversity of the city's international community. Food and drinks will be part of the night's festivities. We hope you can find a love for new tastes before our DJ enters and performs his international beats set.

Get tickets now and help us start spreading the word.

~19:30 reception, 20:00 MC welcome announcement

~International Beats Set by DJ at 22:00

~food from around the world included with ticket

~themed bars

~several dance acts

~raffle for great prizes throughout the evening

~dress: your national dress, something that represents your culture or the colours of your national flag

Event follow-up written on Friday 16 January...

Last night, nearly 300 guests joined us for a truly wonderful event. Many thanks to the people who made it happen:

• WSP for its sponsorship
• Conveyor Logistics for its sponsorship
• Emirates Airways for providing the grand raffle prize of two return tickets to Dubai
• Sabir Traders Limited for providing several fantastic raffle prizes
• Hiro Hisabayashi and her dance group, Salsa International Dhaka
• Mikey Leung for the photographs of Bangladesh
• SAR International for providing the T-shirts

Through the raffle ticket sales and t-shirt sales, we raised more than 70,000 taka for The Dhaka Project, a non-profit organisation that provides food, education, healthcare and shelter to slum-dwellers of the city.

Preparations are now underway for our next massive event: the 30th anniversary celebration, to be held on Friday 6 March.

iThink, therefore, iBagha

The Club has been extremely busy over the last few weeks. Many thanks to those who have attended the Kings OF The Cage futsal tournament, the Halloween gathering, and Duplex. This Thursday, we are bringing you something really unique: iBagha.

Announcing two floors packed with entertainment at Duplex

du-plex [doo-pleks] - noun - building divided into two units

We are the only international club in Dhaka with two party-friendly floors. On Friday 24 October, we will be making the most of them.

Downstairs: drink, dance, party

Upstairs: eat, lounge, chill

800 taka gets you entrance to the party, a free drink & a raffle ticket. The grand prize of the raffle is two return tickets Kong, kindly provided by Dragonair. You can win big just by showing up.

Tickets are on sale. The first 20 people to buy one get a free BAGHA t-shirt. Spread the word.

~fantastic BBQ all night

~8-9 Happy Hour

~DJ @ 9

~prizes given away throughout the evening

~bring that expat club card to enter

How to kick back in style at the BAGHA this September

Sometimes, you want to a change from the general Thursday night bustle. Sometimes, you just need a bacon cheeseburger in one hand & a cocktail in the other while you sit on a couch & casually contemplate the busting of moves out on the dancefloor.

And so, we bring you Kickback.

6-8 happy hour

8-10 happy hour on cocktails

DJ @ 10

steak & burger grill all night

free entry before 9 (500 taka afterwards)

dress: something blue

bring an expat club card to enter

This is a party of comfort, lounge seating, and fine food and drink at reasonable prices. This is a night to feast, to drink, to dance. Teriyaki steaks, cheddamelt steaks, lemon pesto steaks & mushroom pork steaks. Hawaiian-style burgers, bacon burgers, chilli burgers, inside-out cheeseburgers & salsa burgers. Indulge. Get here early for free entry.

Events for you in August 2008

Tuesday 5 August. Movie Night (not shown on the above calendar). "I'm Trying To Break Your Heart", a film about the band, Wilco, by Sam Jones. This event will be the first of its kind at the BAGHA. We'll be meeting downstairs around 20:00 to watch selected pieces of the movie on the project screen. Snacks - popcorn, nachos and hotdogs, of course - will be available, and we'll all be enjoying an extended Happy Hour that starts with the movie. Afterwards, anyone who wants to stick around for a chat about what we'll have watched is more than welcome.

We hope to make Movie Night a monthly or twice-monthly event, and we may even go as far as T-shirt production to help it gain some momentum. Of course, movie choices are heartily encouraged, and we'll have scored a victory if we eventually see some competition over what will be watched in future. Those with potential choices might be asked to explain the reasons for their selection and perhaps even asked to shape the event, rather than just pressing play. Hope you make it!

Thursday 7 August. From The BHC To The BAGHA (not shown on the above calendar). This event is most certainly the first of its kind. Last month, we suggested to the BHC the idea of co-hosting a mini-event, starting there and ending here, and we were given the go-ahead, so get ready for some extended Happy Hours, free snacks, a charity raffle there for some fun prizes, a trivia quiz here with some more fun prizes, and some great music spanning decades - all with a British theme.

Friday 8 August. The Quarter-To BBQ (not shown on the above calendar). Quarter-To's sixth BAGHA performance will coincide with a fantastic all-you-can-eat-create-your-own-meal Mongolian BBQ. All meals include a coconut filled with a double-shot of your choice of spirits (we suggest rum). Again, more extended Happy Hours. Should be an extremely relaxing way to spend a Friday evening.

Thursday 21 August. The Funky Hat Party. Get ready. It's going to be big. Bring your hats, your sense of humour, your friends and your dancing shoes. Each ticket costs 700 taka (on sale from noon tomorrow), which will include a free drink at the gate, so long as you bring that funky hat [prizes for the best]. More info about the event is to be posted here soon.

Sit with Lady Luck at the BAGHA Club Texas Hold 'Em Poker Tournament

Test your luck at the first BAGHA Club Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament on Friday 25 July. The tournament starts at 4, as does the 4-hour Happy Hour. The BBQ starts at 7 – enjoy that free shot in the coconut that comes with your meal – and the bar closes late.

Card sharks, amateurs, novices, spectators and lovers of food and drink welcome. We expect a large crowd from the late afternoon until the late evening. If you think Lady Luck might be on your side that night, or if you want to cheer on your friends, or if you just want some great barbequed food, be here then.

To compete, register at our upstairs bar and pay 1500 taka. Prizes will be presented towards the end of the evening for the top 5 players. Bring an expat club card to enter.

Help us spread the word. For more info, call 881 4644 or email manager@baghaclub.com

Event follow-up written on 26 July 2008...

Last night's poker tournament was a tremendous success, with forty three competitors from around the international community! We will most definitely be repeating the event in future.

The final table of eight competitors became the stage for a long drama that unfolded over more than an hour, and a Nordic Club member took home the grand prize, followed by a BAGHA member finishing in second place.