Greater Jaintia Association Marks Silver Jubilee with Annual Picnic in Michigan

The Greater Jaintia Association in the United States celebrated its silver jubilee and annual picnic with a daylong program in Michigan.

The event was held Monday, September 7, at James C. Nelson Park in Sterling Heights, Michigan, bringing together members of the organization, community leaders, local elected officials, families and guests.

The opening session was chaired by association President Abul Kalam Azad and jointly moderated by General Secretary Khaja Afzal Hossain and Dipak Chowdhury.

The program officially began at 3 p.m. with the release of balloons and banners, followed by the national anthems of Bangladesh and the United States and the hoisting of the national flags of both countries.

The opening session began with a recitation from the Holy Quran. Professor Dr. Mohammad Rafiquddin addressed the gathering as the chief guest.

Speaking as the opening speaker, association adviser Mohammad Anwar Hossain emphasized the importance of giving younger generations greater opportunities to take on leadership roles in order to strengthen and advance the organization.

Special guests at the event included association advisers Lutfur Rahman, Manaf Ahmed Babul, DGM Zainal Ahmed, Khaja Shahab Ahmed, Shafique Rahman, Oliur Rahman, Aminul Haque, Tajul Islam, Saif Uddin Bhuiyan, Obaidullah Babul, Faizur Rahman, Dilwar Hossain, Abdur Rahim and Councilman Kamrul Hasan.

Following lunch, the second session featured discussions involving local elected representatives, community leaders and association officials.

Among those attending were M. Mostafa Kamal, Councilman Abu Musa, Councilman Naim Chowdhury, Tahmina Akter Lima, Azam Masum, Faisal Islam, Sulaiman Ahmed, Sabbir Khan, Khokon Ahmed, Ali Raza Raju, Badrul Alam, who attended from the United Kingdom, as well as Salauddin, Harun Chowdhury, Khalkur Rahman, Tarek Ahmed, Saleh Rajel and Abdul Basit.

Representing the association were Khaja Nuruddin, Abdur Rahman, Qayes Ahmed, Mujibur Rahman, Emdadur Rahman, Ashraful Islam, Ashraful Ambia, Nazrul Islam, Sabbir Ahmed, Sirajul Islam, Kamrul Islam, Badrul Alam, Anwar Hossain, Abu Ubaida, Azizul Haque, Azizur Rahman, Abdus Shahid, Abu Towaher, Shamsul Alam, Jalal Uddin, Ramiz Uddin, Golam Azam Masuk, Aminul Islam, Nizam Uddin, Mohammad Shuaib, Helal Abedin, Abul Khalique, Mahdi, Mahbub Rahman Mahdi, Raju Ahmed, Shafiqul Islam Rubel and Ahmed Sadi, along with women leaders and journalists working in Michigan.

The third segment of the program featured sports competitions in 25 different events for children, teenagers, women and men. At the conclusion of the competitions, gifts were presented to 100 winners.

The organization also marked its 28th anniversary and silver jubilee by cutting two celebratory cakes.

The day’s festivities concluded with a raffle draw, with 15 prizes awarded to the winners, including refrigerators, televisions and laptops.

In his closing remarks, President Abul Kalam Azad said he felt fortunate to have the opportunity to serve the organization at such a historic moment. He credited the collective efforts of members and organizers for the success of the event.

The Greater Jaintia Association was founded in 1998 by Bangladeshi expatriates in the United States originating from Jaintiapur, Gowainghat, Kanaighat and Companiganj upazilas of Sylhet, Bangladesh.

The event concluded with the organizers expressing their gratitude to all past and present members of the association for their contributions to the organization over the years.