By Husneara Choudhury
The Prabashi Matlab Samity Inc. held its annual picnic on Sunday, August 23, 2026, at the Pine Pavilion at Belmont Lake State Park in New York, bringing together more than 500 members of the expatriate Matlab community in a festive atmosphere filled with joy, camaraderie and cultural celebration.
The annual picnic of Prabashi Matlab Samity has become one of the most anticipated gatherings among Bangladeshi expatriates in the New York area. At a time when many community organizations abroad have become divided into separate groups, Prabashi Matlab Samity Inc. has maintained its unity since its founding. Representing both Matlab North and Matlab South upazilas, the organization continues to operate as a single, united platform.
Although several showers swept across New York early in the morning, the weather improved by around 10 a.m., allowing members and guests to arrive at the picnic grounds. By late morning, the Pine Pavilion area was filled with families, friends and community members.
Breakfast was served to guests upon arrival, followed by refreshments including watermelon, juice and cold water to provide relief from the summer heat.
The formal opening ceremony began around noon. Members of the executive committee and invited guests jointly inaugurated the daylong celebration by releasing balloons.
Among those present were Prabashi Matlab Samity President Nazir Uddin Patwary, General Secretary Mia Foyez Ahmed, Picnic Organizing Committee Convener M. Shafiqul Islam, Member Secretary Sarwar Faruk Hossain, Coordinator Sakil Mia, Overall Supervisor Md. Kabir Ratan, Md. Shahadat Hossain, Golam Sarwar Dulal, Jyotish Chandra Kirtaniya, former President Rabiul Alam, Adviser Faruk Hossain Majumder, Manik Mia, Mahbubur Rahman, Exit Prime Realty proprietor M. Zaman Majumder, founding member Foyezullah Pradhan, former president and founding member Mia Obaidur Rahman, Md. Faruk Patwary, Bhabatosh Saha and others.
A number of prominent community leaders, journalists, writers and social organizers also attended the event as invited guests. They included President Ataur Rahman Selim, General Secretary Mohammad Ali, Senior Vice President Mahiuddin Dewan, Vice President Kamruzzaman Kamrul, Duke Khan, prominent journalist Akbar Haider Kiran, writer Shibbir Ahmed, Shah J. Choudhury, President of Shah Group, Bangladesh Society Election Commissioner Mia Mohammad Dulal, Chandpur Foundation General Secretary Sohel Gazi, Shahnaz Hossain, community activist Dulal Behedur, Manik Babu, Akram Hossain Biplob, Monirul Islam, Anwar Uddin, Mahiuddin Rahul, Azhar Sarkar, Faruk Hossain Patwary, Md. Anwar Hossain, Md. Emdadul Haque, S.M. Habibur Rahman, Golam Kibria Tapan, Md. Kamrul Amin Sumon, Md. Zahidur Rahman, Al Amin Hawladar, Md. Abdul Jalil, Md. Jisan Ahmed, Md. Abu Naser Patwary, Rabeya Basri, Md. Joynal Abedin, Md. Billal Mridha, Touhid Islam (Manik), Ali Azam, Delwar Hossain, Tapan Saha, Sukhen Das, Md. Abu Saleh Sumon, Md. Imon Patwary, Sima Zaman, Mansura Akter, Md. Riyad Neta, Md. Jahangir Alam, Md. Ariful Islam, Md. Monzur Alam Emon, Md. Kabir Hossain and Nadir Akar Mukti, Neher Siddiquee photo journalist, among others.
11th Edition of Hridoye Matlab Unveiled
Continuing its annual tradition, Prabashi Matlab Samity published the 11th edition of its magazine, Hridoye Matlab, in conjunction with this year’s picnic.
The unveiling ceremony was attended by several distinguished members of the community and was conducted by renowned children’s author Humayun Kabir Dhali and Sakil Mia.
Sports, Cultural Program and Raffle Draw
The daylong celebration featured a variety of sporting and entertainment activities for children and adults. Children’s events included running races and ball-throw competitions, while adults participated in football and a women’s pillow-passing competition.
The event also featured an exciting raffle draw and a lively cultural program. Popular North American-based Bangladeshi singers Kamruzzaman Bokul, Shah Mahbub and Nilima Shashi, along with local artists, entertained the audience with musical performances.
Ten winners received attractive prizes in the raffle draw. The first prize was $1,000 in cash, while the second and third prizes included gold chains and other special gifts.
The daylong gathering ultimately turned into a vibrant reunion of the Prabashi Matlab community. Beyond food, entertainment and recreation, the annual picnic provided an opportunity for expatriate Matlab residents to reconnect with friends, relatives and fellow community members while strengthening the bonds of unity, friendship and mutual support.
For many attendees, the celebration was a reflection of the enduring spirit of Matlab—where memories of home continue to bring people together, even thousands of miles away from Bangladesh.
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