C'est la vie!

This year's French Annual Gala, organised by France Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIFB), took place at Le Méridien on 28 November. It was an effortlessly glamorous affair, the epitome of French style - classy and chic - from start to finish, with an atmosphere that was abuzz with conversation and laughter all night.

The evening started with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, which were a good indication of the level of sophistication we were to expect for the remainder of the event.

The main event started off with a few words of welcome from the director of CCIFC, Rifat Rashid, as well some other distinguished guests. The aim of the gala, and annual trade show, is to strengthen business ties between Bangladesh and France, and encourage trade growth.

The trade show itself had a large number of French companies present, selling everything from makeup and cosmetics to electronics and pharmaceuticals.

For the entertainment, the attendees had the honour of watching a performance by renowned mime artist Laurent Decol, one of the students of Marcel Marceau, a pioneer of 'the art of silence'.

Decol's performances took place in small skits throughout the night, revolving around simple themes such as 'the circus' and 'rockstar', but were elevated into something extraordinary by the mere removal of speech. His performances had the audience enthralled and hanging on to every word – or lack thereof!

Next on the line-up was stand-up comedian Naveed Mahbub, who brought his refreshing observational humour that was reminiscent of Russell Peters.

Mahbub had the audience in stitches, occasionally pausing in order to engage with some of the guests, inevitably turning them into the subject of his jokes.

It was a different form of entertainment to that of Laurent Decol's, for sure, but it captivated the audience nonetheless, and added an element of levity to the atmosphere that seemed to put everyone at ease.

The band 42 provided the music for the evening, with a jazz and blues fusion being the genre of choice, and the dulcet tones of the guitars and saxophone lent an elegant musical backdrop to the five course dinner that was provided.

The dinner itself was served in between performances, and the French-inspired menu was beyond mouth-watering. 

The appetiser was a chicken terrine with duck pâté, served with honey almond bread – a beautiful contrast of flavours and textures.

A seafood bisque followed shortly after, and then came the main course – beef tenderloin served with asparagus and fondant potatoes and a rich, thick gravy.

After the main course, we were served cheese plates, with a variety of international cheeses such as brie and gorgonzola served in the traditional style, with walnuts and grapes.

The ultimate decadence came from the dessert, however, an incredibly creamy pistachio crème brûlée, with delicate lemon madeleines and a tart berry compote that offset the richness of the brûlée.

French cuisine is known for its finesse and elegance and this was apparent consistently throughout the dinner.

To dine on such luxurious food in a glittering ballroom, with smooth jazz playing in the background – one might believe one is in France itself.

Thanks to the joint efforts of all sponsors, this year's French Annual Gala was a resounding success and will only grow bigger and better in the years to come.