Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury and 40th FOBANA Convention Moazzem H. Chowdhury
Chhabed Sathee: Ariful Haque Chowdhury, Bangladesh’s Minister for Labour and Employment and Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, who attended the 40th FOBANA Convention in Los Angeles as the chief guest, did not come at anyone’s personal invitation. He attended the convention following a formal invitation from the FOBANA convention authorities in accordance with established procedures, said Moazzem H. Chowdhury, President of the 40th Los Angeles FOBANA Host Committee.
Moazzem Chowdhury made the statement while protesting what he described as incorrect information circulated on social media claiming that Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury had traveled to Los Angeles at someone’s personal invitation.
In a post on his verified Facebook account, Moazzem Chowdhury said that Jewel Sadat recently claimed on social media that, 'At the request of Dr. Zainul Abedin, I brought Expatriates’ Welfare Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury to FOBANA.' Moazzem Chowdhury strongly rejected that assertion.
On behalf of the 40th Los Angeles FOBANA Host Committee, he clarified that Jewel Sadat was not a member of the Host Committee and held no official responsibility in organizing the convention or in the process of inviting guests.
Moazzem Chowdhury said he has had a longstanding family relationship with Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury. He added that inviting the minister as chief guest to the 40th FOBANA Convention and securing his participation were part of the Host Committee’s formal initiative and coordination. He said appropriate records of the necessary communications and procedures are also available.
Therefore, according to Moazzem Chowdhury, any claim that ‘I brought the minister to FOBANA’ is false and misleading and diminishes the actual role and contribution of the 40th FOBANA Host Committee.
He said that when inaccurate information is published about the history and organizational responsibilities surrounding a major event such as the 40th FOBANA Convention, it is necessary to respond. He therefore called on Jewel Sadat to withdraw and correct the statement and urged everyone to rely on accurate and verifiable information when discussing FOBANA’s organizational activities and the roles of individuals associated with them.
Asked for his comments, newly elected FOBANA Vice Chairperson Abir Alamgir said there is an established protocol when FOBANA invites a minister to its convention.
“The official FOBANA authorities issued the invitation through the proper process, and the minister attended after accepting that official invitation,' he said. ‘A minister does not attend this type of convention simply at the invitation of a private individual. That is the protocol.’
Referring to Jewel Sadat, Alamgir added that if someone met the minister personally in New York or elsewhere, or spoke with him by phone and asked whether he was coming to the convention, and the minister replied that he was, that would not constitute formally inviting him.
‘You took credit for it in one of your news reports or Facebook posts, which raised questions about FOBANA’s protocol,' Alamgir said. 'That is why Moazzem Bhai issued a correction in his protest statement. I do not think there is any need to prolong the matter further.’
Former FOBANA Chairperson Rehan Reza also supported Moazzem Chowdhury’s account.
‘Moazzem Bhai is absolutely right,’ Rehan Reza said. “Mitu Bhai and I went with you to the honorable minister’s office in Dhaka and invited the minister to attend FOBANA. I am also surprised by the claim that Jewel Sadat brought the minister to FOBANA. Incorrect news or Facebook posts should not be published. We expect accurate and truthful reporting. I also protest the claim.'
Jewel Sadat, however, presented a different account in FOBANA’s WhatsApp group. He said that he had spoken with Convention Convener Dr. Zainul Abedin in Miami and that Dr. Abedin had asked him to contact the minister. According to Sadat, Iqbal and Shahid Ahmed were also present at the time. He maintained that he contacted the minister at Dr. Zainul Abedin’s request.
It may be mentioned that Convention Convener Dr. Zainul Abedin did not arrange hotel accommodation or even provide a hotel room for Ariful Haque Chowdhury, the chief guest of the 40th FOBANA Convention. Host Committee President Moazzem H. Chowdhury gave up his own room for the minister and traveled back and forth between his home and the convention with his wife and children.
In a separate controversy, two journalists boycotted a luncheon intended for businesspeople following a dispute over meal coupons. According to the account provided, after the journalists were told that lunch coupons could not be provided to them, approximately 10 complimentary meal coupons were handed to the convener’s daughter and son-in-law in their presence. The two journalists considered the incident inappropriate and chose not to participate in the event described as the ‘Business Lunch.’
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