PREPARATIONS are under way at Bangladeshi and Indian restaurants in Ipswich, Felixstowe, Stowmarket and Woodbridge for special charity nights.The evenings are being held to raise money for the Evening Star's tsunami appeal fund to help the village of Negombo in Sri Lanka.

PREPARATIONS are under way at Bangladeshi and Indian restaurants in Ipswich, Felixstowe, Stowmarket and Woodbridge for special charity nights.

The evenings are being held to raise money for the Evening Star's tsunami appeal fund to help the village of Negombo in Sri Lanka.

Thousands of pounds have already been donated for the appeal, which has touched many hearts, and the restaurant owners have pledged to give their proceeds from the special evenings to add to it.

The first of the evenings will be on March 8 when the Dhaka in Ipswich and Khan's in Stowmarket will be open.

Then on March 15, the Bekash in Ipswich, Bombay Nite in Walton, Felixstowe, and the Royal Bengal in Woodbridge will hold their evenings.

The Maharani in Ipswich is also to take part and will announce a date later.

Some of the venues are planning to hold extra fundraising activities, such as auctions of items, on the evenings as well as serving food.

The appeal for the forgotten village was set up after former Star photographer, Nicky Lewin, discovered the devastation caused by the earthquake and tsunami while out there on an assignment.

Mahbub Alam, owner of the Bombay Nite, is co-ordinating the group of restaurants and said everyone is busy preparing for the events.

He said: "We are going to try to get as many people as possible to dine in our restaurants and there will be a raffle, too.

"The amount of money we raise will depend on how many people we get on the night but I think £5,000 is a realistic target for us.

"We hope all the restaurants will receive excellent support on the two evenings and that people who come along will really enjoy themselves."

People involved with the six restaurants knew well the horror and devastation which flood water can cause and the amount of work which needs to be done to rebuild communities after such natural disasters.

Mr Alam added: "Coming from that part of the world is a major reason why we are getting involved in this. I was in Bangladesh when they had the floods. I have seen people suffer and what people go through.

"It is the human factor that has inspired us. Most of the staff here are from that part of the world."

n What do you think of the ongoing fundraising efforts? Are you holding an event and need publicity? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or email eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk