Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)– Bangladesh will host a four-day SAARC Symposium on Folk Dance in the capital from October 22, officials said.
A preparatory meeting was held in the capital on Wednesday to chalk out details of the symposium following the decision of the governing body of the Colombo-based SAARC Cultural Centre. 
The preparatory meeting was chaired by Minister for Information and Cultural Affairs Abul Kalam Azad at the secretariat.
The meeting decided to form a number of committees to make the symposium a success.
The symposium is part of a series of events that have been organized by the centre in an attempt to bring the member states of the SAARC region together to embrace culture and recognize the unity through diversity. 
The main objective of the symposium is to inspire exchange of knowledge, research and practice of traditional folk dances among the member states of the SAARC region.
It will also help to get information about the existing history of folk dances of the SAARC member countries for future generation and identify the possibilities of cultural diversification through folk dances. 
The centre was established in 2009 and started functioning formally in 2010 in order to promote SAARC agenda of culture, establish linkage between culture and other sectors in attaining social and economic development and SAARC exchange program on culture to sustain harmonious relations among the people and to contribute towards the development of the region.
 
BBN/SSR/AD-16Aug11-6:01 pm (BST)