Staff Reporter: The virtual meeting has been postponed due to tumultuous and controversy. Despite the disagreement of the majority of the members, the decision to change the date of the 35th Fobana Convention has caused outrage among the members of the executive committee of the Federation of Bangladeshi Associations in North America (Fobana) an organization of Bangladeshis in the United States. At a joint meeting of the executive committee and the convening committee on Wednesday (June 18), the meeting was adjourned at a stage of heated debate over the change in the date of the 35th Fobana Convention the next day, Fobana Executive Committee Chairperson Zakaria Chowdhury announced the change in the date of the 35th Fobana Convention in a press release.
Due to the disagreement of the members of the majority executive committee, there is a growing resentment among the members about the change of the date of the Fobana Convention, which is widely known and traditional among the expatriate Bangladeshis in the United States. The responsible and experienced member of Fobana thinks that the conference has been held on the weekend of Labor Day in the United States for 34 years. It is not at all right to change the date of the Convention by destroying this tradition of Fobana.
The members of the executive committee had a discussion with the members of the convening committee on the issue in the virtual meeting on Wednesday. When there was extreme tension in the meeting, the chairperson of the executive committee Zakaria Chowdhury was forced to postpone the meeting. At the meeting, 19 out of 31 members voted in favor of September the date of the Convention and the remaining 12 voted in favor of November.
Surprisingly, the members of the convening committee of the 35th Fobana Convention, in collusion with the Chairperson of the Executive committee, announced the new dates on November 26, 27 and 28 (Friday, Saturday and Sunday 2021) instead of September 3, 4 and 5. When the new poster mentioning the new date spread through social media, there was intense anger among the members of the executive committee.
Hasmat Mobin, a Texas expatriate who is one of the Outstanding member of Fobana, said that it was unfortunate that the meeting of the Executive committee and the inviting committee was postponed last Wednesday (June 16) due to the postponement of the virtual joint Convention. He said no decision had been made on the Fobana Convention in November. The meeting has been adjourned. It is not clear how the chairperson announced the date of Fobana in November.
Rehan Reza, a Kansas expatriate who is one of the Outstanding members of Fobana, said he could not attend the entire virtual meeting. However, he came to know about the incident. He said it was undoubtedly an immoral act. He noted that this has never happened in Fobana’s history.
Fobana Executive Secretary Masud Rob Chowdhury said there was an argument between the members during the virtual meeting. At one stage, Chairman Zakaria Chowdhury was forced to postpone the meeting. But at the meeting, 19 out of 31 members voted in favor of September the date of the Convention and the remaining 12 voted in favor of November. Even then, it is not clear how the date of the Convention changed. He will soon send a press release to the media informing about the decision taken at the meeting.
Zakaria Chowdhury, chairperson of the Fobana executive committee, said nothing much happened at the meeting. Whatever happens, it is an internal matter of Fobana. It is not a matter for journalists to know. He said the chairperson of the executive committee has the power to make all kinds of decisions given to her by the constitution. And because of discussions with the members of the inviting committee, he has announced new dates for the convention on November 26, 27, and 28 (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 2021) instead of September 3, 4, and 5. The inviting committee is not yet fully prepared for September. However, he hopes that the convention in November will be more successful than September. Fobana’s tradition was not ruined by the postponement of the convention date. Earlier, dates were changed for convention in Atlanta and Florida.
BP/SM
