A thought-provoking debate on diaspora identity emerged as one of the key attractions of the 35th New York International Bangla Book Fair at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center (JPAC) in Queens on Saturday evening.
Journalists, academics, researchers and policy experts joined the discussion on the motion: “Diaspora life has commercialised Bengalis while diminishing emotional bonds.” The event drew a large audience of writers, readers, academics and members of the Bangladeshi diaspora community.
Speaking against the motion, business journalist Babu Kamruzzaman, UNDP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific Policy Adviser Nazneen Ahmed and State University of New York at Cortland Professor Birupaksha Paul argued that expatriate Bengalis continue to preserve cultural values, emotional connections and social solidarity despite the demands of immigrant life.
Supporting the motion, journalist Kaberi Maitraya, academic and researcher Dr Shameem Reza, and Johns Hopkins Medicine researcher-physician Mohammad Naqibuddin said growing professional pressures, consumerism and increasingly individualistic lifestyles have gradually weakened traditional emotional bonds and collective Bengali identity among diaspora communities.
Roquia Haider, former chief of the Bangla Department at Voice of America (VOA), chaired the session.
In her remarks, she highlighted the importance of intellectual exchange and open discussion within expatriate communities and praised participants for presenting thoughtful perspectives on a complex social issue.
Audience participation added momentum to the discussion and turned the session into one of the fair’s most engaging events.
Organised by the Muktadhara Foundation, the New York International Bangla Book Fair has grown into one of the largest Bengali literary and cultural gatherings outside Bangladesh since its launch in 1992.