Announcements

2022 Executive Committee Election

• November 19, 2021
• BCS Executive Committee

As the year 2021 is coming to an end, we’re rolling out the Executive Committee (EC) 2022 election procedure with the nominations. This year, the Nomination Committee will comprise of the following members:

• Subha Sen Pakrashi (Chair)
• Soumitra Ghosh
• Sadhan Jana 
• Kingshuk Das (EC 2021 Representative)

The committee is now seeking nominations for next year's Executive Committee (EC 2022). If you are interested to serve in the EC 2022, please download the nomination form as below and submit your nomination by November 29th, 2021. Contact information of Nomination Committee can be found in the BCS Directory and in the nomination form.

Click here to download nomination form

Christmas Party

• November 9, 2021

[Members Only Event]

As the year is nearing its end, so are our yearly events at BCS.

The Executive Committee of 2021 will host the last event of the year, the Christmas Party, and it will be an in-person event!

When: December 11, 2021, 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Where: Lyndhurst Community Presbyterian Church, Bloomfield Hall, 5312 Mayfield Road, Cleveland, OH 44124

Please save the date and help us make it a successful affair by supporting it. We have some fun activities planned for children and adults along with a scrumptious dinner.

General Body Meeting

• November 9, 2021

[Members Only Event]

After a successful Sharod Utsav, it’s time for us to host the second General Body Meeting of 2021. Once again, it’ll be a virtual affair and will be hosted on Zoom.
Our humble request to all our members is to attend the GBM and make their voices heard - brickbats or praises, we’d like to hear from you either way.

When: Saturday, November 13, 2021, at 6.30 PM. The meeting will end at 8:00 PM.
Where: Zoom (Meeting link has been shared in email)

Please feel free to get in touch with us if you have any questions or concerns, or any issues you'd like us to address.

Durga Puja 2021 – Reminder

• October 15, 2021

[Members Only Event]

Venue: Lyndhurst Community Presbyterian Church, Bloomfield Hall, 5312 Mayfield Road, Lyndhurst, OH 44124

The D-day is almost here, and we can keep calm no more! We're super excited to see everyone tomorrow, many old faces with a dash of new ones. But in all this excitement, we don't want to forget the nitty-gritty. 

We, the BCS Executive Committee, have shared many communications with our members leading up to this day regarding the protocols that we have put in place this year. We understand, for many, these might have been a little overwhelming and confusing. But rest assured, we have adopted these policies being mindful of everyone's health and safety. All our members are dear to us, and we want to take care of you in the best possible way, so our approach is in everyone's best interest. 

Puja Schedule

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Durga Puja Announcement

• October 10, 2021

Shubho Sharodiya, from the BCS Executive Committee.

It’s after a long gap of two years that Bengali Cultural Society, Cleveland, OH will be able to celebrate Durga Puja in person again. All of us in the Executive Committee have been working very hard to make it as safe and enjoyable as possible.

Owing to the current pandemic situation, we’ve had to develop a protocol to be able to host a safe and successful event for all of our members. We’re extremely grateful to all our community members who have already registered online. Please accept our heartfelt gratitude.

There seem to be a few member families who've expressed their desire to attend the Puja but have not registered yet. We request you to complete it at the earliest possible as only registered members will be permitted to enter the venue. Online registration is not available anymore. Therefore, please contact one of our EC members to complete your registration. The registration is a must not only for your safety and the others around you but also helps us get an exact headcount for the food boxes. The venue this year is small and there are capacity restrictions due to Covid-19. Your continued patience is appreciated, hopefully, things will be fully back to normal next year!

We look forward to your continued support and cooperation, and most importantly, we look forward to seeing you!

Durga & Laxmi Puja 2021

• September 14, 2021

[Members Only Event]

We’re aware that the community has been waiting with baited breathe to know about the Sharodiya celebrations plans. We, the Executive Committee members, have been working hard to put the concrete plans together and now we are ready to share it with you. We appreciate your patience.

Please click on the following link to view the detailed information. It also includes the link for registration, we request you to go through the specifics and get back to us with any questions.

Durga Puja 2021

• August 27, 2021
• BCS Executive Committee

[Members Only Event]

It is with great pleasure that we’d like to announce Durga Puja 2021 celebrations to be a reality in Cleveland. Keeping everyone’s survey responses in mind, after much discussion and deliberations with the trustees and senior members of the community, the BCS Executive Committee 2021, has decided to host Durga Puja celebrations this year as a two-day affair, in a scaled-down format.

It will be held at: Lyndhurst Community Presbyterian Church, Bloomfield Hall, 5312 Mayfield Road, Lyndhurst, OH 44124 on October 16 (Sat) and October 17 (Sun) respectively. Please make a note that we are forgoing the usual Friday night puja this year. 

Durga Puja 2021 – Natok & Magazine

• August 14, 2021
• Cultural Secretaries

Please find below some updates on Bijaya Natok and Sharodiya Magazine.

Bijaya Natok:

Many of our members showed their interest in participating in Bijaya Natak this year. Thank you very much for your enthusiasm! Due to another surge of Covid-19 and uncertainties in near future, we have decided to showcase this year’s Bijaya Natak completely in virtual way. Those who have not formally sent your names, but would like to participate in Bijaya Natak, please contact any of our Cultural Secretaries by Aug 20, 2021.

Sharodia Magazine:

Though we are not sure about the format of Durga Puja yet, we are committed to publish the Puja Barshiki Magazine like in previous years. We are accepting submissions from our members in the following categories:

Emergency Fund

• July 15, 2021
• BCS Executive Committee

As per the discussion in our last GBM back in February 2021, an emergency fund has been created with an initial donation from a few members.  This fund is currently being managed by a committee comprising of Brojesh Pakrashi, Meera Chatterjee, Jaharul Haque, Bhaswati Bandyopadhyay, and the current BCS President, Kingshuk Das.

This fund is created to have readily available cash to help members in need right away without having to go through a bureaucratic process. There have been heartbreaking examples in the recent past when BCS members needed funds during personal emergencies. 

The aforementioned committee members are working on various fund policies, which will be presented at a future GBM for members' approval. We will keep you posted on how you can contribute to this fund once we finalize all policies on fund collection, maintenance, disbursements, etc.

Stay safe and enjoy the Summer.

Baisakhi Update

• June 8, 2021

This is to provide an update on Baishakhi Sandhya as stated in our earlier communication. It is clear that we are still reeling from the conditions ravaging India and the grave losses that each of us have experienced. In view of this, we have had to take the unfortunate decision to cancel Baishakhi Sandhya and its ancillary programs this year.

Nevertheless, on behalf of BCS, we extend a grateful Thank You to everyone who have sent in their videos for Baishakhi Sandhya. 

All submitted videos will be published on YouTube on a later date in the month of July 2021. We hope this short collation will provide you with at least some enjoyment and respite in the midst of these times.

The NEW FINAL DATE for video submissions is now 13th June, 2021. If you have not been able to send your performance video, please submit it to Gargi (nathgargi5@gmail.com) or Jayatu (jayikma@gmail.com) by 13th June , 2021. Please note we will not be able to accept any videos past this pushed back final date.

Donation for INDIA

• May 3, 2021
• BCS Executive Committee

This message comes to you at a time of insurmountable distress to our beloved motherland. We are all aware of the catastrophic events happening in India due to the recent surge of Covid-19 cases. All of us are deeply affected due to this alarming event. But whenever we have grappled with a crisis of this magnitude, our Bengali community in Cleveland has invariably always come forward to extend every help they can. In this regard, we would like to inform you about a very worthy fundraiser launched by the Federation of Indian Cultural Associations (FICA): the India Covid-19 Relief Fund. On behalf of FICA, we are forwarding their appeal to Indian diaspora. FICA website provides all the information on how to donate to this timely initiative. 

Many organizations around the globe are mounting similar efforts to alleviate the grave situation in India. We’re sure you are already doing all that you can personally and with your favorite charities. However, in case you are looking for a suitable aid initiative to contribute to, please go through the following news articles:

Rescheduling of Baisakhi

• April 28, 2021
• BCS Executive Committee

না, আমাদের মন ভালো নেই।

All of us have been deeply affected by the dire situation in India and the steady onslaught of concerning news that we have been getting about our near and dear ones across the shores. Our heart is heavy with sadness and worry as we anxiously pray for everyone’s safety back home. In view of these circumstances, we have postponed Online Baishakhi Sandhya 2021. We will reschedule Baisakhi Sandhya to a later date, and will update you with such details as and when possible.

আমাদের সবার মনই ভারাক্রান্ত, এখন শুধু এটুকুই যথেষ্ট আর এটুকু শুনলেই ভালো লাগবে যে আপনারা সবাই ভালো আছেন, আর দেশে আপনাদের প্রিয়জনেরা নিরাপদে আছেন। এই দুশ্চিন্তাজনক অবস্থার পরিপ্রেক্ষিতে, বৈশাখী সন্ধ্যা ২০২১ আপাতত স্থগিত রাখা হল। অনুষ্ঠানটি পরে একটি যথাযথ সময়ে আয়োজিত করা হবে, তার details আমরা যত তাড়াতাড়ি সম্ভব পাঠিয়ে দেব।  

Saraswati Puja 2021

• January 6, 2021
• Cultural Secretaries

শীঘ্রই দেখা হবে নিশ্চয়ই! In the meantime, we will celebrate Saraswati Puja 2021 at the Shiva Vishnu Temple on February 20, 2021, Saturday. We will livestream the Puja on the BCS Facebook page. Due to ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, regrettably only a minimum crew will be present at the temple.

Puja Nirghonto: Puja ~11:15 AM; Pushpanjali ~11.45 AM

If, due to inclement weather, we are forced to make any changes to the Puja schedule, the same will be posted on the BCS Facebook page.

Online Cultural Program: We request you to kindly submit your children’s names for the Online Cultural Program, which will be released on YouTube on the evening of the Puja. Their piece can be a:

• Drawing, painting, and
• Video of them performing a song, instrumental piece, dance, or poem (or maybe even a time-lapse of them drawing, like a sped-up Boshey Aanko; your imagination is the only limit!)

Greeting from Executive Committee 2021

• January 1, 2021
• Kingshuk Das, President, EC 2021

On behalf of the newly elected Executive Committee members of Bengali Cultural Society, Cleveland and myself, I wish you all the best for 2021!
We are excited to take over the baton from the Executive Committee of 2020, and look forward to work with you all this year. We also want to take this opportunity to thank the 2020 Executive Committee for their hard work, commitment, devotion and energy for the Bengali community of Cleveland, OH during this difficult time.

The global situation in regards to COVID-19 is changing rapidly. In keeping with local, state or federal mandates, we might need to adjust our regular event schedule. Our plans for 2021 events will be in compliance with local, state and federal guidelines. We assure you that the health, wellness and safety of our community members and families will be our top concern.

Thank You

• January 1, 2021
• Rajlakshmi Ghosh, President EC 2020

As we come to the end of an unprecedented year, on behalf of the Executive Committee 2020, I would like to take the opportunity to thank all members of Bengali Cultural Society for allowing us to serve you this year. 

There were several people involved in all BCS related work throughout this challenging year. As we navigated uncharted waters due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the community showed tremendous support, helping us redesign our events and cultural programs and deliver them successfully. Whether it was our Baisakhi event - Jibon Joy O Prarthana, or virtual adda AajEktu Galpo Hok, or our global member collaborative – BCS Mahalaya Program, or our virtual natok - Bharate Chai, our members delivered flawless cultural programs one after the other. My sincere gratitude to our amazing Cultural Secretaries – Ambalika Dasgupta and Soumyajit Paul, for conceptualizing, organizing and coordinating the programs.