An ancient Hindu festival, Holi is marked as a triumph of good over evil, and has become popular among non-Hindu populations in South Asia. In Bangladesh, many members from the Muslim community also join their Hindu neighbours to celebrate the festival by smearing abeer (a coloured powder) and spraying water colours on each other. Students at universities and colleges in Dhaka, the Bangladeshi capital, and elsewhere get drenched in colour, singing and dancing together. For the Hindu community, who constitute about 10% of the population, this festival brings a message of unity and friendship and helps in bridging the communal divide.

Read more: Communal Harmony