Prothom Alo North America Family Participates in the Literary Festival at the 46th Banga Conference
The 45th Banga Conference was held from July 3 to 5 in White Plains, New York, at the Westchester County Center. As in previous years, the Prothom Alo North America family actively participated in the conference’s literary festival, contributing to a wide range of discussions, readings, and cultural events.
The literary festival opened with two special panel discussions: “The Role of Educational Institutions in Literary Creation” and “Mahasweta Devi at Her Birth Centenary.” The sessions featured Dr. Kaushik Sen, Jayati Dasgupta, and Aditi Basu Roy, who reflected on Mahasweta Devi’s literary achievements, social activism, and lasting contribution to Bengali literature.
The festival was inaugurated by President Dilip Banerjee.
As Prothom Alo North America Editor Ibrahim Chowdhury was delayed due to his official duties with FIFA, the organization’s literary session was hosted by Dr. Dhananjay Saha, Vice President of the Literary Festival. Poet Benazir Sikdar recited her poetry, earning warm appreciation from the audience. Scientist and poet Dr. Dhananjay Saha presented both poetry and rhymes, while marathon runner Nasir Sikdar, founder of the Obesity Free World initiative, spoke about the health benefits of regular running and how physical fitness enhances memory and creativity.
Later in the session, acclaimed authors Sadat Hossain and Taslima Nasrin joined the program and read from their own works. Writer, lyricist, and physician Dr. Sejan Mahmud performed songs, while young vocalist Shubhan Sundar from Kolkata and recitation artist Aditi Basu Roy also entertained the audience.
Throughout the conference, noted Kolkata-based author and Ananda Puraskar recipient Nalini Bera participated in several literary discussions. Publisher Rupa Majumdar, Taslima Nasrin, and Nalini Bera discussed the challenges and opportunities facing women writers in contemporary Bengali literature. The session was moderated by Rudrashankar.
One of the new additions to this year’s conference was the Bengali International Literary Society. During its session, poet Benazir Sikdar again presented her poetry. Nalini Bera delivered a critical review of Dr. Dhananjay Saha’s poetry collection Panch Shatoker Paytara (“Five Decades of Maneuvers”), based on an essay written by noted West Bengal literary scholar Dr. Shibshankar Pal.
Unable to attend because of visa-related issues, Dr. Pal sent a written message describing the book as “a moonlit sky filled with brilliant stars, where surprise, grace, and richness coexist.” He praised Dr. Saha’s work as a multidimensional, postmodern reflection of contemporary society and described him as a distinctive voice in modern Bengali rhyming poetry.
In another concluding session, Sananda magazine Associate Editor Payel Sengupta conducted a workshop titled “Writing in Transition.” She observed that changing times have transformed both writing and reading habits. While opportunities for writers have expanded, time has become increasingly limited. She emphasized that every writer should first understand why they write, for whom they write, and where they intend to publish. She concluded with the remark, “Mind is the power of creativity.”
One of the festival’s highlights was a performance of Bengali folk music by renowned sarod maestro Ustad Kamal Sabri from New Delhi, India. His captivating performance received enthusiastic applause from the audience.
Ashweni Prasad, co-founder of the International Museum of Saree, presented a poetic narrative on the arrival of Bengalis in the New World by boat. During the session, Dr. Dhananjay Saha spoke about the vision for establishing a permanent Saree Museum and appealed to attendees to donate sarees, traditional men’s attire, and other artifacts representing Bengali heritage for its permanent collection.
Dr. Saha also invited participants to attend the Fourth Rockland Retreat and Book Fair, scheduled for July 25–26, 2026, in Chestnut Ridge, New York.
The literary festival concluded with a panel discussion titled “The Present and Future of Diaspora Literature,” featuring poet Benazir Sikdar, Dr. Dhananjay Saha, and Dr. Alok Bandyopadhyay. The session was chaired by Jayati Dasgupta.
At the conclusion of the program, Organizing Committee Chairman Dilip Chakrabarti presented commemorative plaques to the panelists and moderators in recognition of their contributions.
The conference also welcomed one of the most successful Bangladeshi-Americans, K. P. Chowdhury. He was received on behalf of Prothom Alo North America by Editor Ibrahim Chowdhury, Golam Faruk Bhuiyan, and Rahman Mahbub. Chowdhury praised the efforts of the Bengali community in preserving its language and cultural heritage abroad and commended Prothom Alo North America for its significant role in that mission.
The MuktoDhara Bookstall, located in the conference center corridor, remained crowded throughout the event with readers browsing books by North American Bengali authors as well as important works of Bengali literature. Taslima Nasrin and Sadat Hossain spent hours meeting readers and signing copies of their books.
During a brief ceremony at the MuktoDhara stall, popular contemporary novelist Sadat Hossain was presented with a commemorative FIFA World Cup 2026 souvenir on behalf of Prothom Alo North America. Among those present were Riddhi Bandyopadhyay, daughter of the celebrated “Panchakabi” family tradition from Kolkata, Shitangshu Guha, Dr. Nazrul Islam, Biswajit Saha, Rahman Mahbub, Sukhen Gomez, and other distinguished guests.
