68 Bangladeshi youths leave Dhaka for World Youth Festival in Russia

DHAKA, Sept 11: Sixty-eight Bangladeshi youths left Dhaka to participate in the World Youth Festival 2026 in Russia, as Bangladesh prepares to send a 70-member delegation to the week-long international gathering.

The remaining two members of the delegation are expected to join the festival shortly, said Tareq Mahmud, chairman of the Bangladesh Preparatory Committee of the World Youth Festival Russia.

The festival is scheduled to be held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, from September 11 to 17, bringing together young people from Russia and countries around the world.

Speaking to The Shuttle Times, Tareq said the 70-member Bangladeshi delegation includes students, politicians, young researchers, businesspeople and journalists.

The average age of the Bangladeshi delegates is below 30, while 25 young women are among the participants, he said.

More than 5,000 young people applied from Bangladesh to participate in the festival, according to the preparatory committee.

The Bangladeshi delegation travelled from Dhaka to Moscow on Qatar Airways, Ethiopian Airlines and China Southern Airlines, with the journey taking around 35 hours with a transit. After reaching Moscow, the delegates travelled to Yekaterinburg by a domestic flight.

The participation of Bangladeshi youths in the festival is being viewed as another avenue for people-to-people contact and youth engagement between Bangladesh and Russia.

During the festival, Bangladeshi delegates are expected to take part in cultural events, workshops, discussion forums and sports competitions while showcasing the country’s cultural diversity and heritage.

Russian organisers have made extensive preparations for the event, including exhibitions highlighting cultural diversity, traditional cuisine and attire, regional cultures, science and technology, sports and cultural performances.

The festival also aims to promote international understanding, peace and prosperity by bringing together young people from different countries and creating opportunities for dialogue and exchange.

The Russian House in Dhaka, in cooperation with the Bangladesh International Youth Foundation (BIYF), recently organised a preparatory meeting for the Bangladeshi participants at the Russian House.

At the meeting, the participants were briefed about the festival, its activities and opportunities for international youth engagement.

The preparatory session also provided prospective participants with an opportunity to learn about the festival and exchange experiences related to international youth programmes.

The Russian House said such initiatives contribute to youth engagement, international cooperation and people-to-people contacts by creating opportunities for Bangladeshi youths to connect with their counterparts from Russia and other countries.

The World Youth Festival is expected to provide the Bangladeshi delegation with opportunities to exchange ideas and experiences with young leaders and youth representatives from across the world, while promoting Bangladesh’s culture and identity on an international platform.