High achieving students from Keighley's Bangladeshi community have been rewarded for making the grade.

Seventy students were presented with congratulatory certificates during a special ceremony at the Bangladeshi Community Association's Shurma Building headquarters.

Guest speaker was Anwar Choudhury, a department director at the Ministry of Defence, in Downing Street, who presented the certificates to local students who had passed their GCSEs, A-levels and degree courses with flying colours.

Advice worker Abdul Motin, who hosted the event, says: "The aim of the evening was to celebrate the achievements of students of all ages within the Bangladeshi community.

"The other aim was to encourage parents to get more involved with their children's education and to provide as much support as possible. We had about 200 people attending the event, and considering the atrocious weather conditions the turnout was absolutely amazing."

Mr Motin adds:"It was important that we had some graduates there because they showed that education doesn't finish after you've completed school.

"Mr Choudhury was impressed with our set up here, and he made some very positive comments about setting expectations high and grasping opportunities with both hands.

"I would like to thank our chairman Shokot Ali for supporting the event and our vice-chairman and Greenhead teacher Ahsan Ullah, who had the initial idea."

The association runs after -school study support groups which provide access to the organisation's computer suite.

The presentation evening was attended by Oakbank School head teacher John Roberts, head and deputy head at Greenhead High School Miles Mizon and Margaret Platts, and acting director of operations for Keighley College Andy Brown.

Keighley South Labour councillor Lynne Joyce, Bradford council's director of careers Jane Campbell, Keighley SRB co-ordinator Roz Hall and Highfield representative Charlie Bhowmick also supported the event.

During the evening Maqbool Ali was presented with the association's Volunteer of the Year award, with Employee of the Year going to Abdul Motin.