'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.

3 reasons to join the BAGHA's welcoming community

If you to join a friendly and diverse community, check out the BAGHA Club.

You can swim, use the gym, receive tennis lessons, sip fresh coffee while enjoying the wireless Internet access, read books from our library, chat with the best staff in Dhaka, and mess around with the digital jukebox and karaoke system. You can spend an entire day here and still not get through everything that is on offer!

The great thing about the BAGHA is choice.

Our menu offers something for every kind of good time. Sizzling steaks. Barbeque chicken pizzas. Bacon sandwiches. The best and best-priced frozen daiquiris you will find anywhere. Shawarmas. Fish and chips. And awesome finger foods. This place is a treasure trove of satisfaction.

If you are new to Dhaka, visit the other eight international clubs, too. Check out their facilities. And spend some time getting a feel for each community because each place has its plus points. The Nordic Club is peaceful and offers great food. The British High Commission Club offers a wonderful pool and beautiful grounds.

The BAGHA is busy.

It is lively and exciting. You can meet people right away, which is great if you have just arrived. You can chat freely with fellow members who can help you settle down by pointing you in the right directions. All you have to do is say hello. And just so you know:

we process applications very quickly so you can get involved immediately. People have received their membership cards on the same day they applied! Just bring your EU passport with a visa, cash or chequebook, and two passport photographs. We will review your documents as soon as possible and call you when we have an answer for you.

You should choose a club that fits your wants. And if you want to settle down quickly and meet people easily, the BAGHA may be the place for you.

Think about joining us. Cheers.

- the BAGHA Club

Remember:

The great thing about the BAGHA Club is choice

The BAGHA is busy

We process membership applications very quickly

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.

Relax, socialise and be active in a safe and welcoming environment

The British Aid Guest House Association (BAGHA) Club was established in 1979. It is a part of the British High Commission estate and proudly serves a wonderfully-diverse mix of EU nationals.

The BAGHA is a place in which members can enjoy sports activities, relax and socialize in a safe and welcoming environment. It is one of nine international clubs in Dhaka and heartily welcomes members from other clubs every day of the week (after 18:30 on Fridays).

If you are interested in membership, please call 881 4644 or email manager@baghaclub.com. We will be happy to help you in any way we can.

Road 44, House 17, Gulshan (behind the back end of the Westin). If you are travelling south on Gulshan Avenue away from the Gulshan 2 intersection, turn right immediately after Movenpick and Fahim Music onto road 44 and go straight for 200 metres. The BAGHA will be on your right side.

Facilities

• all-day restaurant
• swimming pool and paddling pool
• tennis court and tennis instructors
• children’s play area
• second-floor terrace
• air-conditioned bar
• flat-screen televisions for sports events
• library and DVD library
• digital jukebox and karaoke systems
• wireless Internet access

Opening hours

• 06:30 to 23:00 on Sundays to Wednesdays
• 06:30 to 00:00 on Thursdays to Saturdays

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.

Helping you settle down into life in Bangladesh

We want to help you feel at home in Bangladesh. Probably the best thing you can do is visit the BAGHA and start chatting with our members, almost all of whom will be more than willing to point you in the right direction and give you ideas that can speed up your integration. The next best thing you can do is check out the links that we have provided below for you. If you can think of any other links that should be included, let us know. Enjoy.

The BAGHA Club Facebook page
A fun, easy way to keep in touch with the BAGHA Club community. Anyone can join, so please feel free to invite your friends and family.

The Been There: Bangladesh Facebook page
Maybe the best Facebook info resource for people who want to find out what is going on in Bangladesh.

HottDhaka.com
Great for restaurant menus. Some of the menus are old, so prices may be higher now.

Bangladesh: Bradt Travel Guide
The best offline resource for info of Bangladesh.

The Daily Star
The country’s largest English newspaper.

Nordic Club

Dutch Club

International Centre For Diarrheal Disease Research Bangladesh (ICDDRB) Traveller’s Clinic

British High Commission Dhaka

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.

And we are back online

The BAGHA Club website has been offline since 22 March 2009. After a break of a little less than a year, it is back today, 27 February 2010. Feel free to contact us with your suggestions for improvement.

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.

The wonders of the ubiquitous kebab

Last month, we hosted a Kebab Night. It was so well-received, we thought we would write an entry that includes some info from the research that we conducted in preparation for it. At the bottom of the post is the menu of kebabs that we served on the evening.

The kebab, AKA kabob, kibob, kebhav, and kephav. World famous. The term refers to a variety of meat dishes found in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, African, Central Asian and South Asian cuisine, almost always consisting of a grilled meats served on a stick. Simple and fantastic. Generally, kebabs include lamb or beef, though others make use of goat, chicken, fish and shellfish. Due to the origins of many kebab recipes in predominantly Muslim or Jewish regions, pork kebabs are not commonplace, though they can be found, for example, throughout India.

The simplicity of roasting meat on sticks over an open fire has resulted in worldwide variations on the same basic idea, and this method of cooking most probably became vastly popular around the globe due to the relatively small amount of cooking time, preparation and energy such as fuel or oil - cubes of meat cook quickly over a small flame. Much literature points to Turkish soldiers roasting meats on their swords as the birth of the kebab, though evidence shows shish kebab being cooked in Greece as early as the 8th century BC.

What many North Americans refer to as kebab is actually shish kebab - its translation in Turkish is “skewered grill-meat - and generally consists of lamb or beef, tomatoes, capsicum and onions threaded onto a skewer, though other common vegetables include eggplant, mushrooms and pickles. Variations on the shish kebab include the Greek souvlaki, the Russian shashlik, the French brochette, the Spanish pinchito, the Southeast Asian satay, the India kathi, and the Brazilian espetinho.

And what it is commonly known in the UK and Australia as kebab is actually döner kebab - its translation in Turkish is “rotating grill-meat” - and with variations in the Greek gyro and the Middle Eastern shawarma. Döner kebab is most popularly served in pita bread with salad. Other popular kebab include the chelow kebab - meat served with saffron rice - which is the national dish of Iran, the shami lamb kebab from India, and the adana kebab, which is minced lamb served on pita with onions. Today, though, we’ll be serving you worldwide variations on the shish kebab with some wonderful accompaniments.

Pork French Brochette With Baguette

Pork Spanish Pinchitos

Mediterranean Beef Kofta With Tzatziki And Pita Bread

Indonesian Chicken Sate With Peanut Sauce And Raw Onions And Cucumbers

Indian Chicken Tikka With Mint Yoghurt And Onions In Vinegar

Turkish Beef Shish Kebab With Yoghurt And Pita Bread

Vegetable Kebab

Fruit Kebab