When Baisakh arrives this April, Bengalis in New York will have even more reason to celebrate. This year, in addition to exchanging Nava Varsha greetings, 50 members of the Bengali community will be invited to an official reception at the Senate chamber in Albany, the capital of New York.
The New York Senate has passed a resolution, sponsored by Bronx state senator Luis R. Sepulveda, officially proclaiming April 14 as Bangla New Year’s Day in the state.
Recognizing such official days is intended “to increase awareness and enhance the profile of cultural diversity which strengthens the fabric of the communities of New York State,” the resolution states. It further highlights that “New York City has the largest congregation of Bengali (the world’s sixth most spoken language) speaking citizens globally outside of West Bengal and Bangladesh.”
On April 7, two days before the Senate session concludes, Governor Kathy Hochul will host a Bengali New Year’s Day reception at the State Senate Chamber, where members of the Bengali community will be invited to take part in the celebration.
For Bishawjit Saha, CEO and founder of Muktadhara Foundation, this recognition is the culmination of years of effort. Saha, who played a key role in advocating for the resolution, sees it as a major victory.
“Getting this official recognition is a huge achievement for us. New York becomes the first state in the US to proclaim the Bengali New Year’s Day on the official calendar,” said Saha, who originally moved from Bangladesh to the US in 1991 at the age of 25. He started Muktadhara Publication, a Bengali publishing and distribution firm, from his home.
“In 1992, we started holding a Bengali book fair in a church at Queens and celebrated February 21 in front of the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan,” he recalled.
In 2023, Saha and his team sought to elevate their celebrations by taking them to Times Square. “We felt the occasion deserved a bigger platform. Our programme, titled Shatakanthye Bangla Gaan, would feature 100 singers singing patriotic songs in Bengali.”
The initiative received overwhelming support. “People from even neighboring New Jersey, Massachusetts, Philadelphia, and Washington started flocking to the rehearsal venue,” he said.
However, this enthusiasm was met with resistance. Some fundamentalist groups filed a court case, claiming that the rehearsals were causing disturbances. This legal action discouraged several participants. Saha still becomes emotional when recalling the experience of standing trial just three days before the scheduled Times Square event. Fortunately, the case was dismissed, and the program proceeded as planned.
At the beginning of 2024, Saha formally presented the proposal for official recognition, tracing the origins of Bangla New Year celebrations to the Mughal era. His proposal also highlighted Mongol Shobhajatra, a traditional procession organized by Dhaka University, and referenced visits to the US by renowned Bengali figures such as Rabindranath Tagore and Swami Vivekananda.
“But the Republican state Senators of Long Island were not convinced,” Saha noted.
That April, in an effort to broaden the appeal of the Times Square event, organizers extended invitations to various communities and nationalities that celebrate the new harvest in April. These included Punjabi (Baisakhi) and Thai (Songkran) traditions. The event saw participation from New York City Mayor and the Deputy Governor, adding to its credibility and visibility.
Buoyed by this success, Saha renewed his advocacy in November. His persistence paid off when the New York State Senate officially issued a notification on January 22. Since then, he has received messages from across the US.
“People want to fly in to attend the Times Square show,” he said.
A theme has already been chosen for the celebrations—dheki and kulo, traditional rice-processing tools. Costumes for the event will be ordered from either Dhaka or Kolkata to add an authentic cultural touch.
Muktadhara has deep roots in Kolkata. The publication house was originally founded in the city by Bishawjit’s cousin, Chittaranjan Saha, during the Bangladesh Liberation War. Its first two titles, Roktakto Bangla and Jagroto Bangladesh, were published there.
For the upcoming Senate reception, globally renowned Bengali figures such as Jhumpa Lahiri and Amitav Ghosh have been invited to join the celebration.
“Only culture can bridge gaps, not religion,” Saha emphasized.