Staff Reporter: A Bangladeshi woman living in Maryland in the United States has created a stir by hanging a picture on saree of Father of Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman under her knees in front of hundreds of spectators. Senior Co-Convener Parveen Patwari, one of the organizers of the 35th Conference of the Traditional Federation of Bangladeshi Associations in North America (FOBANA), known as the Reunion Fair of Bangladeshis, saw a picture of Bangabandhu hanging on saree front of her knees. The chief guest of the event Minister for Liberation War Affairs, Bir Muktijoddha A. K. M. Mozammel Haque, Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States and other leaders and activists of the local Metro Washington DC Awami League was embarrassed to see the picture of Bangabandhu printed on her saree hanging below her knees and walking in front of hundreds of spectators. If this picture of her goes viral through social media, the expatriates including the United States Awami League consider this incident as an extreme insult. There is a storm of condemnation among the expatriates.
It is learned that in the year 2019, the organizing committee of the 35th conference of the Federation of Bangladeshi Associations in North America (FOBANA) was given to the American Bangladesh Friendship Society (ABFS) in the metro Washington DC area. After taking charge, convener GI Russell and member secretary Shibbir Ahmed selected local expatriate Bangladeshi Parveen Patwari as senior co-convener. For the past two years, they have been extorting large sums of money in the name of patronage at home and abroad, gifting a low-quality Fobana conference to US expatriates. Which has become a laughing stock throughout the United States. The Fobana Conference, which started on 26th November, ended on 28th November with extreme mismanagement, irregularities, extreme negligence towards the artisans and patrons. Hundreds of viewers complained that no one in the history of the United States had ever seen such a bad phobia.
On the opening day of the three-day Fobana Conference, the chief guest was the Minister for Liberation War Affairs, Bir Muktijoddha A. K. M. Mozammel Haque including Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States was embarrassed to see a picture of Bangabandhu printed on senior co-convener Parveen Patwari’s saree hanging below her knees in front of hundreds of spectators.This picture goes to viral through social media, a storm of condemnation is raging among the expatriates including the United States Awami League.
A leader of the United States Awami League, who did not want to be named, said that Parveen Patwari, the heroine of ‘Fobana Circus’ in the name of the conference, had insulted Bangabandhu by hanging a picture of Bangabandhu under her knees in her saree. The organizing committee of the conference, including the Fobana committee, will have to be held accountable for this incident. He also demanded exemplary punishment for his audacity. The Awami League leader said that they would take up the matter with the Dhaka Central Awami League and other concerned ministries.
Metro Washington DC Awami League leaders and activists said that Parveen Patwari has no connection with Awami League. Who doesn’t even know her as an Awami League supporter. Parveen Patwari has been widely criticized on Facebook Live in the Metro Washington area since attending the inauguration of a road called ‘Ziaur Rahman Way’ organized by the Bangladeshi-American community in Baltimore, Maryland on June 20 this year. Ever since then, everyone has known her as a BNP supporter, but at the Fobana conference, many have mentioned that Bangabandhu has been utterly disrespected after seeing his picture printed on the her saree hanging below her knees. They immediately raised the issue of the Liberation War Affairs Minister Bir Muktijoddha A. K. M. Mozammel Haque and Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States M Shahidul Islam. Although the guests were embarrassed, they did not discuss the matter with Parveen during the conference. Later, the leaders and activists of Metro Washington DC Awami League again informed the matter to the Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States. Parveen’s country home is in Chandpur in the greater Comilla district.
Many including the leaders and activists of the United States Awami League, have expressed their displeasure and anger when the audacity of walking around in public with a picture of Bangabandhu hanging below the knee on Parveen Patwari saree went viral through social media. They immediately demanded exemplary punishment for the incident.
What is the reason for wearing saree with Bangabandhu’s picture in Fobana conference? Your involvement in the opening ceremony of Ziaur Rahman Way in Maryland has been seen. On the night of November 4, sent a message on Parveen Patwari’s mobile phone, she did not give any correct answer in the last one week.
In the name of the 35th Fobana Conference, convener GI Russell, member secretary Shibbir Ahmed and senior co-convener Parveen Patwari have been accused of large-scale extortion in the name of patronage at home and abroad for the last two years. From the very first day of the show, GI Russell and Shibbir Ahmed treated the artists rudely, did not pay them properly as per the agreement, arranged hotel accommodation and cheated the sponsors in the name of reward. As a result, after watching the program on Friday and Saturday, most of the guests left the hotel and returned home without enjoying the program on Sunday.
Nasreen Ahmed former senior legal assistant at the RMC Lawyers’ Office paid $10,000 dollar as a Gold a sponsor for this year’s 35th Fobana Conference, but was extremely embarrassed to attend the conference. No one cooperated with her as promised. Returning from there, she repented and said that he would never again make any financial contribution to the Fobana Conference in the future. So she said on his Facebook status, I turned around and saw the 35th Fobana Chanchor Batpars Conference – unethical business in the name of Fobana, disrespect to artists, drunkenness, running a four star hotel as a seven star hotel, awarding low quality rooms to sponsors manpower (Adam)’s business. Feeling guilty about sponsoring such an organization. I repented to keep myself away in the future.
It is to be noted that most of the people concerned are of the opinion that the convener GI Russell and Member Secretary Shibbir Ahmed have pocketed most of the money collected in the name of Fobana. Not only that, at the 35th Fobana Conference this year, convener GI Russell, Member Secretary Shibbir Ahmed and Chairman of the Fobana Conference Zakaria Chowdhury traveled to Bangladesh several times to lobby for the import of manpower (Adam) from Bangladesh. According to a reliable source, about 6/7 people have been able to bring Adam in the 35th Fobana this time in exchange of big numbers. Among them are 2 bank employees. Besides, it is known that 4/5 more people were brought as associate artists.
BP/SM
