20th Anniversary of Bangladesh Environment Network (BEN)

The 20th anniversary of Bangladesh Environment Network (BEN) was  celebrated with a rich program held on June 30, Saturday, at PS 69, Jackson Heights of New York City. 

A pre-event rally was also held on June 29, Friday at Jackson Heights. BEN members gathered near Diversity Plaza of Jackson Heights with banners and festoons and paraded the streets drawing attention of the crowded Bangladeshi neighborhood to the event of June 30. The parade ended at PS 69, the venue of the event. BEN leaders addressed the rally at both the beginning and end of the rally (some pictures of the rally are attached). 

   

BEN brought out a publication marking the 20th anniversary. Though called a “brochure,” it is much more than that and contains many substantive and thoughtful articles of long-term significance by both BEN and BAPA leaders and BEN experts and other interest materials (please see attached).  

A special cultural program was produced and staged for the Opening Session. It was planned and conducted by Semonti Wahed, a second generation Bangladeshi artist and activist of New York City and performed by young ladies, also second generation Bangladeshi artists of NYC. The link to the video of this show is as follows:

https://youtu.be/0UPpxiqlVUY 

The detailed final program of the event is attached. The program was executed with punctuality that was appreciated by all.

Informative and interesting presentations were made by BEN experts at the two symposiums included in the program. Please refer to the articles in the brochure by respective authors for contents of these presentations. Interesting and useful discussions were also held at the Discussion Sessions devoted to the “Experience and Lessons of Bangladesh Environment Movement” and “Role of the Younger Generation in Bangladesh Environment Movement.” The articles by BEN and BAPA leaders in the brochures reflect the contents of the some of presentations made in these Discussion Sessions.

BEN produced two special documentary videos for the 20th anniversary. One was on the history, struggles, achievements, and challenges of BEN and BAPA. It was prepared by Dr. Dipen Bhattacharya, one of the founders of BEN. Below is the link to this video

The other video was on the movement for “Save the Baral River” — one of the prominent rivers of northwest Bangladesh. It was made by Minhaz Ahmed, a leader of BEN New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut Tri-State chapter. It provides a prominent example of how erroneous river policies of Bangladesh led to the killing of a fabled river. It also provides the best example of river movement waged by Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) and BEN really becoming a mass movement. It is also an example of river movement

achieving success, albeit not complete. BEN therefore hopes that this video on the Baral River will help to inspire people all over Bangladesh to rise up in defense of rivers of their localities and make the river movement a mass movement all across the country. The following provides the link to this video:

The celebration event was capped by an interesting cultural program. The main attraction of this program was another special BEN anniversary production. It was a solo-play based on rhyme verses on environmental theme composed by Lutfar Rahman Ritan, one of Bangladesh’s best rhyme composers, and acted by Shireen

Bakul, Bangladesh’s famous artist/actress. This is a unique show, the first of its kind for Bangladesh. This solo-play was hugely appreciated by the audience. Below is the link to this video

All in all, BEN’s 20th anniversary was celebrated in a befitting manner in New York City. The various contents produced for this celebration are of durable nature and can be helpful for Bangladesh environment movement in future. Also, BEN chapters elsewhere can use these materials to hold celebration events in respective countries and cities.

      

BEN’s 20 years of struggle for a beautiful Bangladesh has been a remarkable experience. It has been a journey into the unknown, and it met with both successes and challenges. Let the 20th anniversary celebration provide further impetus to convert the environment movement into a mass movement, which is badly needed if Bangladesh’s environment is to be protected from further decay. Press Release.