New York Correspondent:
The first town hall meeting of the 40th FOBANA was held in Jackson Heights, New York, on a recent Friday at 7:30 PM at the AR Banquet Hall. The first town hall meeting of the 40th FOBANA conference to be held in New York on September 4, 5 and 6, 2026, was chaired by Nurul Alam Babu, Vice Chairman of the Host Committee of the 40th FOBANA Conference and Convener of the 40th FOBANA Conference. Zakaria Chowdhury, Chairman of the FOBANA Central Committee and Muldhara politician and human rights activist, delivered the welcome speech.
Former Member of Parliament of Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad, former President of Dhaka National Press Club and senior journalist Farida Yasmin spoke as the chief guest at the meeting. Chief Petron Shafiqul Alam, Chief of the 40th FOBANA, spoke as the keynote speaker at the event.
Among others, FOBANA Advisor and Senior Journalist Haqiqul Islam Khokon, Advisor and Distinguished Theatre Artist Lutfun Nahar Lata, Joint Secretary of FOBANA Central Committee Subrata Talukder, Head of the Host Committee Coordinator Abdul Hamid, Chairman of the Seminar Committee Poet Fakir Elias, Former Press Minister of the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington and prominent journalist AZM Sajjad Hossain Sabuj, Coordinator Shibli Sadek, Poet Farhana Elias Tuli, Various leaders and activists of We Mujib USA.
More than a hundred expatriates from different areas of New York participated in the first town hall meeting held under the fluent presentation of Sharmin Siraj Sonia. It is worth noting that the main significance of this year’s 40th FOBANA Conference is that it is dedicated to the great freedom fighter, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The meeting discussed in detail the formation of the Punang Committee and the overall planning and preparation. Seeking the full cooperation of the expatriate leaders and all expatriates in the meeting, the speaker said that this year’s FOBANA Conference will be organized with wide participation and an important platform for all generations.
This year’s FOBANA The conference will highlight the life philosophy of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the historical events of 1971, the spirit of the Liberation War, Bengali culture and tradition, the contribution of the new generation and the expatriate Bengalis. On this occasion, there will be colorful cultural programs, discussion meetings, poetry sessions, seminars and gatherings on various topics – where bridges of all generations will be built in a new way.
The presence of various political, social, cultural, professional, human rights, poets, literary figures, educationists, journalists, artists and craftsmen from abroad was commendable at the first town hall meeting in New York. Special tributes were paid at the town hall meeting on the occasion of International Labor Day and on August 15, 1975, the family of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the great language movement of 1952, the International Mother Language Day, all the people in the great war of independence of 1971 At the beginning of the meeting, everyone stood and observed a minute of silence in memory of the martyrs, the immense contribution of three lakh women and children, the killing of four national leaders in Dhaka Central Jail on August 15 and November 3, 1975, the deaths in the grenade attack on August 21, 2004, and the meticulously designed and militant attacks in 2024.
After the town hall meeting, everyone was treated to dinner.