Bangabandhu Bangladesh Convention Pledges for a Unified Society
"The dividers cannot be the well-wishers of our community," was the overwhelming message of the 4th Bangabandhu Bangladesh Convention held Saturday, July 12 at the Renaissance Concourse Hotel in Atlanta. The convention opened to a huge audience with the reciting of verses from the Holy Qur'an, the Bible, and the Gita.
Mr. Ali Hussein, the organizer of the Convention, presided. The Guest of Honor was Dr. Mustafa Nurun Islam, the prominent educationalist and key figure behind Bangla Academy and Shilpakala Academy. Dr. Islam was also the former chairman of the Bangladesh National Museum, and Head of the Bangla department of the Jahangir Nagar University.
The deputy chairman of the Opposition Party and former speaker advocate Abdul Hamid could not be present due to political instability and the ongoing budget session; he expressed his grief at not being able to attend.
Other guests included Engineer Kazi Arif, Dr. Matiur Rahman, Dr. M. A. Majid, Shaikh Farid Mohammed Fattah, and General Secretary of the organization Humyun Kabir. Shaikh Jamal Uddin Ahmed, the chairman and the founder, opened the event. Mr. Salimullah, Hannan Chowdhury, Mohammed Ali Raju, and Shaikh Jamal Uddin spoke to the audience.
The Guest of Honor expressed sadness over the party line division outside the country. He spoke of the irony that people in Bangladesh are less divided over the issue of party politics than the Bangladeshis here. Mohammed Fattah and the secretary of JSP Shaikh Farid read messages from the people's leader Shaikh Hasina.
The cultural secretary of the organization, Shamsul Alam, launched the second part of the cultural event that evening. Hosts Farhana Alam Mukta and Dr. Faruque Azam helped residents of Atlanta and surrounding states thoroughly enjoy the event late into the night. Performances by local entertainers Shah Alam Khokon, Taslima Sultana Poly, Khairul Alam Khokon, and Rizwana Rumo were undeniably breathtaking. The audience clapped frequently during the performances by child performers Rizwana Rimi, Tonima, Tanzila, Shannon, and Tajin.
On the second day, the children's talent show and drawing and dance competitions began under the guidance of Rizwana Rumo. That afternoon also featured the seminar on Bangabandhu, the father of Bangladesh, emceed by Dr. Matiur Rahman, and a children's singing event later that day showcased youth from different states. The Runa Laila evening program, however, was the highlight of the day. After performances by Sheebotro Paal, Tanvir Shaheen, Ani, and Bakul, the audience welcomed the famous singers Jojo and Jolly Mukherjee with thunderous applause. Runa Laila, the famous Bengali singer, entered the stage singing "Shilpi Ami," causing the audience to shout "Runa, Runa!" She topped off the evening with no less than 14 of her famous songs.
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