Harvard Ghungroo, Bengali Association of Students Raise Funds After Flooding in Bangladesh

Harvard students gathered at the Signet Society celebrating South Asian melodies and traditional dances to raise funds for people affected by flooding in Bangladesh last Friday evening.

Harvard Undergraduate Ghungroo hosted the third iteration of Sur Sagar in collaboration with the Signet and Bengali Association of Students at Harvard College.

Samia Afrose ’25, president of the Bengali Association of Students, said that funds will be donated to the As-Sunnah Foundation, a nonprofit charity organization in Bangladesh.

Afrose said the foundation has been helping families in Bangladesh by buying basic necessities like clothes, food, and medicine “because over 18 million people have been affected, and over 1.2 million people are trapped because of the floods.”

Afrose added that as of Friday evening, the event raised over $1,500.

“People are buying tickets, so we’re really excited, and we’ve been fundraising for about over a month now,” she said.

Ghungroo Director Sreela Chowdhury ’26 opened the event by explaining Ghungroo’s history, outlining the event program, and introducing the performers.

Mally Shan ’25 performed “A Silenced Roar,” a spoken word piece about Tippoo’s Tiger, an automaton depicted as mauling a European soldier and a symbol of South Asian resistance against the British.

Harvard’s South Asian Classical Dance Team then presented a Kathak performance, an Indian classical dance.

Ananya Ganesh ’26 said that Sur Sagar is a “really cozy environment.”

“You feel enabled to experiment and try out new things,” Ganesh said.

Students without South Asian roots who performed at the event said that they not only attended for the event’s charitable goal but also to pay homage to South Asian music and tradition.

Jack Meyer ’27, who performed at the event, said that though he doesn’t have a history with South Asian music, his friend Prazul Wokhlu ’25 called him and said “hey, you want a gig?”

“I didn’t ask questions. I just said yes, and so I’m super happy to be a part of this and support my man writing original music out here,” Meyer said.

Ashwin V. Kumar ’28 said that the event “was a really nice way of the community kind of coming together, contributing to a good cause, and helping the flood victims.”

“It was so nice to see everybody across the South Asian community and even folks from outside the community come together and show off their artistic talents,” Kumar added.

Hana Rehman ’25, a 2024 Ghungroo director, also said that Sur Sagar brings awareness to people without South Asian heritage.

“It’s events like these, when I notice everyone’s taking out two hours of their day on a Friday night just to come sit down and listen and support their friends — but also to think about what is happening beyond Harvard Square,” Rehman said.

“For me, it instills a sense of hope that people at Harvard do care about these things, and are willing to make a difference and are not just wrapped up in their bubbles,” Rehman said.