


Bangladesh Society Inc. at a Glance
It is an established fact that all the expatriate Bangladeshis living in USA are deeply rooted to our country and culture, history and heritage, tradition and norms, social values and personal virtues. Such correlation was originated not out of emotion, but practical necessity. Though we physically left our motherland, but we psychologically nurse and love all these age-old facts. Keeping this in mind, a group of patriotic and enthusiastic Bangladeshis in order to bring and unite all the Bangladeshis under one umbrella endeavored to form a social body what is now known as ‘Bangladesh Society Inc., which was formed at a meeting held on November 23, 1975 at Earl Hall, Columbia University, New York. Dr. Abdul Haque was the founding convener of the ad hoc committee of “Bangladesh Society Inc”. The first formal committee was elected on August 1976, with Dr. Mohammad Yusuf as President, Late Mohammed Kazi Zakaria as Vice-president Late Engineer Asadul Haque as General Secretary, Abdul Awal Minto as Treasurer and Momtaz Hasan RPH as the organizing Secretary.
It goes without saying that as a nation the Bangladeshis inherit their own distinct identity. This trend is distinctively separate from all other nationalities those live in USA. We have a glorious history of the war of liberation, other than the unprecedented sacrifice for our mother tongue language. Being inspired by our history, culture, tradition, social and religious values, a group enthusiastic Bangladeshis founded this organization 39 years ago, with the span of time what has turned to a large body of huge members and officials. It is a non-political, non-profitable, non-religious and socio-cultural organization.
According to its constitution Bangladesh Society has an Executive Committee consists of nineteen (19) officials. Out of them there are one President, one General Secretary, one Senior Vice-president, one Vice-President, one Assistant General Secretary, one Treasurer, one Organizing Secretary, one Cultural Secretary, one Publicity Secretary, one Social Welfare Secretary, one Literary Secretary, one Sports &Entertainment Secretary, one School & Educational Secretary and six members.
Missions:
The prime mission of Bangladesh Society Inc. is to lead our community to a parallel way alongside the mainstream of USA through mutual cooperation and amity. The other mission of the society is to assimilate our new generation with our own culture, tradition, social and religious values so that they themselves preserve and practice these in their daily life.
Visions:
Bangladesh Society Inc. has some time-befitting visions which are essential for any organization. These are:
1. To open the door of mutual assistance and cooperation assimilating all the Bangladesh-origin expatriate Bangladeshis.
2. To maintain and promote friendly relations between the Bangladeshis and with other nationalities living in the USA.
3. To celebrate national days along with all the Bangladeshi expatriates
4. To cement and solidify the foundation of our national unity through adopting, initiating and implementing religious and social projects/programs.
5. To convey clear and distinct idea and knowledge to our next generation regarding the tradition, culture, heritage and values of Bangladesh; viz., teaching them Bengali language, directly involve them with the Bangladeshi culture and give them accurate knowledge regarding the value of family bondage of Bangladesh.
6. To highlight before our current and next generation the positive aspects of this country by assimilating them with the related social and financial issues of all communities of the country (America).
7. To keep all the Bangladeshis informed about the political, social and economic changes of our country.
8. To collect relief and fund (money) for the distressed and affected people of various natural calamities in Bangladesh.
9. To protest whenever any Bangladeshis living in this country are illegally victimized or harassed by anyone in anyway and prevent such trend and help the victims.
10. To motivate the Bangladeshis to directly involve and participate in the social and political activities of USA.
11. To assist and cooperate the Bangladeshis regarding immigration issue.
12. To stand beside the newly immigrated Bangladeshis to redress their problems and provide them required suggestions.
13. To provide all-out support to the Bangladeshis to protect their national/ community rights.
14. To provide information to low-income Bangladeshis regarding various types of medicate insurances so that they can avail suitable ones suiting them.
15. To take step to provide borough-based English education to the adult Bangladeshis living in New York City.
16. To provide counseling regarding psychiatric and mental problems.
17. To organize computer training to make the Bangladeshis skilled to get better job.
Aims & Objectives:
1. To have a community center owned by Bangladesh Society Inc.
2. To take necessary step to introduce and involve the expatriate Bangladeshis with those city funds which are meant for the non-profit organizations so that they can avail and enjoy those facilities.
3. To construct a permanent “Shahid Minar” in New York.
4. To organize Bangladesh Day Parade
Current assets:
Bangladesh Society Inc. has its own office building. The Society purchased 210 graves in the Washington Memorial Park in New York. Graves are provided to the Bangladeshis as requested purely on non-profit basis. The needy members from Hindu and other religious communities were also subsidized accordingly.
Today, Bangladesh Society Inc. is a motto of self-reliant (shadikar) organization of the expatriate Bangladeshis. With numerous ups and downs the Bangladesh Society Inc. is now a universally recognized organization of the Bangladeshi community. The “Society” essentially works as a medium to assimilate and correlate the new generation born in this country to the culture and tradition of our motherland / homeland that materializes the hopes and expectation of the familial and social values of their parents. The society undertakes various programs to celebrate our auspicious days and festivals like Independence Day, Victory Day, Shahid Dibash (Martyr’s Day), Bengali New Year (Pohela Boishak) Eid, Puja festivals, Christmas Day, Buddhist Purnima, etc., in order to strengthen and make comprehend the significance and importance of social, familial, religious and cultural bondage. The prime focus and goal of all the activities and steps of Bangladesh Society Inc. are to assimilate our new generation Bangladeshis with the mainstream of America maintaining / keeping their close relation / tie to their own roots in Bangladesh.