BANGLADESH

Bangla Corner at Queens Public Library, New York

A Bangla Corner has been set up at the Queens Public Library in New York as part of the ‘Mujib Year’ and the golden jubilee celebrations of Bangladesh’s independence.

At the initiative of the Bangladesh Consulate General in New York and in collaboration with the Queens Public Library, Foreign Minister Dr. AK Abdul Momen inaugurated the corner at local time yesterday. He was the chief guest at the function organized on the occasion.

Foreign Secretary Masood bin Momen and New York State Senator John C. were present at the ceremony. Lou, Donavan Richards, president of Queens Borough, and Dennis M., president and chief executive officer of the Queens Public Library. Walcott. Besides, members and journalists of Bangladeshi-American community including heroic freedom fighters also participated in the program.

The largest settlement of the Bangladeshi community in the United States is Queens Borough, New York, where Bengali is used as the fourth largest language after English, Spanish and Chinese. That is why the inauguration of ‘Bangla Corner’ at the Queens Public Library in Queens Borough is of special significance.

Bangla Corner at Queens Public Library, New York
Foreign Minister inaugurated the Bengali Corner Dr. AK Abdul Momen

A total of 309 books have been donated by Bangladesh Consulate in ‘Bangla Corner’. The books are about Bangabandhu, Bangladesh’s freedom struggle and liberation war and the history, heritage and culture of Bangladesh written by renowned writers and literary figures of Bangladesh.

Apart from this, Bangladeshi novels, short stories and children’s books have found a place in this corner.

For three consecutive years from 2019 to 2021, the celebration of International Mother Language Day has received a great response by incorporating Queens into the mainstream. Following this, the Consulate for the growing number of Bangladeshi-Americans in Queens took the initiative to establish a ‘Bangla Corner’ at the Queens Public Library, one of the largest in the United States, on the occasion of the ‘Mujib Year’. Although this ‘Bangla Corner’ was supposed to be inaugurated on a large scale in 2020, it was not possible due to the Covid-19 epidemic. Later this year, during the UN General Assembly, the ‘Bangla Corner’ was inaugurated following a limited range of rules regarding covid.

Bangla Corner at Queens Public Library, New York
Bangla Corner at Queens Public Library, New York

Foreign Minister. AK Abdul Momen said at the inauguration ceremony, “2021 is important in many ways. Because this year is the birth centenary of our father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the golden jubilee of Bangladesh’s independence and today (yesterday) is the 75th birthday of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the worthy daughter of the father of the nation. ‘

The Foreign Minister further said, “Apart from this, another significant achievement of Bangladesh this year is that Bangladesh has successfully passed all the indicators of being a developing country from the list of least developed countries this year.” He said that is why the auspicious inauguration of ‘Bangla Corner’ on this day of the year carries special significance. He remembers his past around the Queens Library at this time. “We are the only nation that has given blood for language,” he added. He hopes that expatriate Bangladeshis will come to this ‘Bangla Corner’ with their future generations and read books. On this special day, he presented to the Queen’s Public Library a compilation and analysis of 32 speeches delivered by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to the nation and a special compilation of 75 eminent persons on the occasion of the Prime Minister’s 75th birthday.

In his speech, Ambassador Masud bin Momen, Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh, said that this ‘Bangla Corner’ established in the year of Mujib is a special significance to our Bangladeshi-American community. He hopes the consulate’s contacts with other mainstream institutions, including the Queens Public Library, will continue to grow.

Bangladesh Consul General in New York and Bangladesh Ambassador to Brazil Sadia Faizunnesa and President and CEO of Queens Public Library Dennis M. Walcott made a welcome speech at the event. In her speech, Consul General Sadia Faizunnesa mentioned Bangabandhu’s first speech in Bengali at the United Nations and Bangabandhu’s historic Bengali speech on March 7 was recognized by UNESCO. She said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has played an impeccable role in establishing the Bengali language in the international arena. In this context, he referred to the period of repeated imprisonment of Bangabandhu during the language movement from 1947 to 1952 and said that the establishment of this ‘Bangla Corner’ in the year of Mujib was very symbolic and important.

Speaking at the event, among other guests, was New York State Senator John C. Lou, and Queens Borough President Donavan Richards and journalist Hassan Ferdous. Everyone praised the initiative to introduce the Bengali language to the new generation of Bangladeshi-Americans. They hope that this will create a better idea about Bangladesh among all Bengali speaking people, especially children and teenagers.

At the end of the speech, the Secretary of State handed over several of his own books to Dennis Walcott, President of the Queens Public Library. Dennis M., President and CEO of Queens Public Library. Walcott presented an honorary memento to the Secretary of State in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the community. The books will be on display at the main branch of the Queens Public Library for six months, after which they will be housed in different branches of the library.

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