প্রিয় সুধীগণ

Canada Day Celebration

Dated: June 15, 2020

Dear Bichitra members,

We hope that this email finds you in good shape. July 1st is fast approaching, which means it's the time to celebrate the birth of the beautiful country we live in! We are very excited to inform you that we are planning for a virtual Canada day celebration this year. Your participation is necessary to make this virtual program a successful one.

After careful consideration of the ongoing pandemic situation due to Covid-19; we came up with a few options as follows where you may participate for Canada Day celebration.

1. We'll be making a video collage of Canadian national anthem. Please send a video recording of your child singing the full national anthem by this Friday, June 19, 2020.
2. We are also encouraging our members to submit photos of their art works or paintings prepared by them related to Canada day only by June 19, 2020. We will make a collage of all Artwork and paintings.
3. We are also encouraging our members to share their experience of celebrating Canada Day in Manitoba. Please record your experience in your phone and send it to us.
4. Please do all of your video recordings in landscape format and please send it to Asit either by WhatsApp at 204-770-8986 or by email at deyasit4168@yahoo.com.
5. We are encouraging one member (adult or young) of a family to submit only one item. Example: one member can submit either item no. 1 or 2 or 3.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 204-290-6332 or Asit at 204-770-8986.

Thanks,
Pijush Majumdar
President - Bichitra - The Bengali Association of MB Inc.
Bichitra

শুভ নববর্ষ ১৪২৭ / Happy Bengali New Year 1427

Dated: April 14, 2020

Dear Bichitra members,

On behalf of Bichitra, I wish you all a very happy Poila Boisakh! May this auspicious day brings joy, prosperity and most importantly the good health in everyone's lives!
It's heart breaking that instead of getting together today to celebrate this joyful event; I had to convey the best wishes message electronically as we're going through the unprecedented time due to Covid-19 Pandemic. There is a great deal of uncertainty around all of us, since the Covid-19 situation continues to evolve rapidly with increased warnings from the World Health organization, Federal as well as Provincial government about the risk to all the communities.

In Bichitra, we're not dealing things as business as usual in a day to day basis since all the health authorities across the globe are reminding us the importance of maintaining the social distancing. Our members health   well being remains our highest priority. Therefore, we'll abstain from meeting from each other for any regular celebration until the situation improves so that we can protect you, your family   your friends.

We're relying on each others support more than ever! I'm literally touched by some of your unwavering efforts of keeping in touch with each other in this pandemics! Many of you have reached out to me to ask how I'm doing & how is my family? I take a pride of being part of such a lovely family named “Bichitra” where members are taking care of each other so well in this historic tough time! It's not possible to connect with you individually; but please DO NOT hesitate to reach out to any of our executive committee members shall you need any help desperately or you've exhausted all of your resources!

There is a clear sense of stress and uncertainty around all of us; as the health experts are releasing new statements every single day! We have adapted many facets of our lives both at home and at work to wage a successful fight against Covid-19. It's imperative to mention that the fight is not over yet! The novel virus will test us in ways we do not yet understand, but all I know is; if we maintain the social distancing, wash our hands thoroughly in a regular interval and be careful about what we touch; we will continue to succeed. Although most of these changes are not very easy; we still rediscovered our family bonding, social bonding and understood the value of a down time on the nature!

Last but not the least, hang in there! Remember, “Tough times never last… tough people do.” - Robert H. Schuller Thanks
Pijush Majumdar
President - Bichitra - The Bengali Association of MB Inc.

URGENT: Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2020 of Bichitra   Nomination Committee Details - Seventh Notice

Dated: March 12, 2020

Dear Bichitra members,

With the growing concerns around COVID-19 and 3 presumptive cases identified in MB, we are hereby postponing the upcoming AGM until further notice. This decision is in alignment with the provincial advisory of practicing social distancing and minimizing public gatherings. Bichitra is also postponing any further organizational activities that requires public congregation until current provincial advisories are lifted. Health and well-being of our members take precedence, and the Executive Committee has agreed with the decision. We regret the inconvenience caused due to sudden cancellation of the event.

The Current Executive committee will carry out the duties in the interim. Regarding the AGM, everything remains the same regarding nomination committee, nominated members and processes defined. Once situation normalizes, we will announce a new date for the AGM.

Meanwhile, we urge members to adopt recommended preventive measures to stay safe. A few links are suggested below to keep yourself updated:

1. For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19 in MB: https://www.gov.mb.ca/health/coronavirus
2. For additional preparedness: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/being-prepared.html

Thanks,
Pijush Majumdar
President - Bichitra - The Bengali Association of MB Inc.
Bichitra

Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2020 of Bichitra   Nomination Committee Details - Sixth Notice

Dated: March 9, 2020

Dear Bichitra members,

On request from the Nomination Committee, please find attached the final list of nominated candidates as of 07-Mar-2020 for various executive positions for the term 2020-2022. I would like to thank the Nomination Committee members on behalf of the organization for their effort in conducting the nomination process so far. Also, please find the message from the President of the organization below.

Thanks
Arindam Sarkar
General Secretary
Bichitra - The Bengali Cultural Association of MB Inc.

---

Dear Bichitra members,

Thank you for actively participating in the nomination process. Based on the nomination line-up, Bichitra is heading for an electoral process this year to have Executive Members elected for the term 2020 - 2022. I have laid out the rules for the electoral process that will happen during our AGM on Mar 15, 2020 as an attachment to this email.

Attached herewith are the following:

1. Consolidated list of nominees for various executive positions, forwarded by our General Secretary.
2. Ballot Rules for AGM 2020
3. A Sample Bichitra Ballot and
4. Agenda for the AGM

I would sincerely request all members to go through each of the attached documents carefully. If any member wants to add any agenda items to the existing list, please let us know by Mar 12 (Thursday), and we will update the agenda accordingly and re-circulate.

Please mark your calendars for March 15th, Sunday, from 3 to 5 pm at Fort Garry United Church, 800 Point Road, for our Annual General Meeting 2020. Also - recognizing the contribution of the members over the past year and their continued commitment in organizational activities, we plan to host a Membership Appreciation Event post the AGM. All members present will be served with refreshments to appreciate their contribution to the organization.

*** NOTE: This is an event only for members. ***

Thanks
Pijush Majumdar
President - Bichitra - The Bengali Association of MB Inc.

Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2020 of Bichitra   Nomination Committee Details - Fifth Notice

Dated: March 06, 2020

Dear Bichitra members,

As communicated in earlier email(s), nomination process for the executive positions for the term 2020-2022 ends tomorrow at 12:00 pm sharp. Nominations sent after the stated time will not be considered as valid nominations. I want to thank you for being with us this far.

What happens next:

1. The Nomination Committee collects all nominations received till noon on Mar 7th. and sends the consolidated list to the General Secretary. This is in accordance to the sub-section 3.8.4 of the By-Laws of the organization. It has been agreed that the list of nominated candidates will be sent to the General Secretary no later than March 08, 2020 - Sunday.
2. The General Secretary circulates the consolidated list to the general members, along with any other information provided by the President, by March 09, 2020 - Monday.
3. The Agenda for the AGM will also be circulated along with the communication on Mar 09.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions.

*** NOTE: This is an event only for members. ***

Thanks,
Pijush Majumdar
President - Bichitra - The Bengali Association of MB Inc.
Bichitra

Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2020 of Bichitra   Nomination Committee Details - Fourth Notice

Dated: February 18, 2020

Dear Bichitra members,

On request from the Nomination Committee, attached herewith is the ad hoc list of the nominees for various executive positions for the upcoming AGM, as of Feb 17, 2020. To satisfy the curiosity of our members, the Nomination Committee intends to circulate a few ad hoc lists until nomination closes on March 7, 2020.

*** NOTE: This is an event only for members. ***

Thanks
Pijush Majumdar
President - Bichitra - The Bengali Association of MB Inc.

Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2020 of Bichitra & Nomination Committee Details - Third Notice

Dated: February 17, 2020

Dear Bichitra members,

We are half way through the nomination process for the new executive committee to be formed, and I would like to thank you for being with us in this journey till now.
I would like to make a couple of announcements:

1. The email address of one of the nomination committee members, Mr. Ajay Pandey, is ajay21@live.com instead of 'live.ca' as mentioned in the earlier email. For any nominations going forward, I sincerely request all our members to send nominations to the updated email address. For nominations that have already been sent, the nomination committee will ensure all the committee members are on the same page. For your reference, the contact email addresses of the nomination committee members are:
   
   Mrs. Sumita Biswas (e-mail: mitashib@gmail.com) (Chair of the Nomination Committee)
   Mr. Pranab Roy (e-mail: pranabroy59@gmail.com)
   Mr. Ajay Pandey (e-mail: ajay21@live.com)
   


2. The nomination filing of candidates is a transparent process. Any community member can request the nomination committee on the list of nominated candidates and the executive positions they have been nominated for. What I sincerely urge to the community members is to refrain from enquiring 'who' nominated 'whom'. This has caused concerns amongst few of our members, and in consultation with the nomination committee, it is decided that names of 'Nominators' (one who nominates a candidate) will be kept confidential going forward.

Any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.

*** NOTE: This is an event only for members. ***

Thanks,
Pijush Majumdar
President - Bichitra - The Bengali Association of MB Inc.
Bichitra

Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2020 of Bichitra & Nomination Committee Details - Second Notice

Dated: February 7, 2020

Dear Bichitra members,

Following up from our last email on the AGM 2020, nominations for the new Executive Committee starts today. Please refer to the Nomination Policies in the email chain below for more details.

*** NOTE: This is an event only for members. ***

Thanks
Pijush Majumdar
President - Bichitra - The Bengali Association of MB Inc.

Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2020 of Bichitra & Nomination Committee Details - First Notice

Dated: January 30, 2020

Dear Bichitra members,

It's that time of the year where the current Executive Committee of Bichitra showcases the work done in the past year, discusses plans, budget for the forthcoming year, and takes suggestions from the members to improve and strengthen the organization and its heritage going forward. This year also marks the end of the term for the current Executive Committee and selection / election of members to form the new Executive Committee for the year 2020-2022.

We are glad to announce that the Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on March 15, 2019, Sunday from 3 pm to 5 pm. The venue will be communicated in due course of time.

Since a new Executive Committee is to be formed at this AGM, as per our constitution, I have appointed a nomination committee who will guide, coordinate and organize the nomination procedure in a fair & democratic way. Stating the obvious, the nomination committee members are all long-standing members who have served Bichitra at various capacities in its 40 years of existence, and well-accustomed with the nomination procedures. I encourage all our valued members to read the Nomination Policies carefully and nominate suitable candidates so that Bichitra can have a dynamic team who can carry forward its 40 years of legacy to the next level.

I'm pleased to introduce the nomination committee and their contact email addresses as follows:

Mrs. Sumita Biswas (e-mail: mitashib@gmail.com) (Chair of the Nomination Committee)
Mr. Pranab Roy (e-mail: pranabroy59@gmail.com)
Mr. Ajay Pandey (e-mail: ajay21@live.ca)

Nomination Policies:

1. Nomination starts on February 07, 2020, Friday at 12:00 pm CST and will be closed on March 07, 2020, Saturday at 12:00 pm CST. Any nominations sent before and after this time line will be considered null and void.
2. Any member who is in good standing may nominate another member in good standing for only one position.
3. A member can be nominated for multiple positions as long as the nominations come from different individuals (members).
4. The nomination needs to be sent in writing by electronic method (e-mail) to all three nomination committee members together (in the To list), to avoid any technical glitches. Failure to do so will render the nomination null and void. Also, any nominations which are not in writing i.e. nominations that are conveyed by phone, verbal or any other method except email channel are not considered an official nomination, and will be considered null and void.
5. Any member who is in good standing and wants to serve Bichitra at any capacity that he/she feels suitable for, is also eligible to self-nominate by emailing to all three nomination committee members stated above. On the day of AGM, any member who is in good standing also can stand from the floor and self-nominate himself/herself for a particular position with a desire to serve the community.
6. None of the nomination committee members shall nominate himself/herself for a position, but may be nominated by any other general member(s) in good standing.
7. In a situation where there are multiple candidates nominated for a single position, the respected nominated candidates will be notified by General Secretary well in advance and a secret/closed ballot will be arranged to find out the candidate who is favored / preferred over other candidate(s) by the general members on the day of AGM, unless contestants withdraw the nomination and there is only one candidate left for the said position.
8. NO ONE should call or try to influence or solicit the nomination committee. If such an activity comes to the attention of present executive committee - a disciplinary action will be taken.
9. Nomination committee is an independent, unbiased body consisting of more than one candidate. They're not acting under the influence of anyone. However, if any member has any true allegations of any misconduct by the nomination committee, he/she shall bring it to the attention of the current president, and the president is fully liable to thoroughly investigate the complaint and take a necessary action as per the constitution.

If there is any question or confusion regarding the nomination process, do not hesitate to directly call (204-290-6332) or email (pijush25@hotmail.com) me.

There will be regular communication going forward until the day of AGM to provide more details and clarity of the event.

Also - recognizing the contribution of the members over the past year and their continued commitment in organizational activities, we plan to host a Membership Appreciation Event post the AGM. All members present will be served with refreshments to appreciate their contribution to the organization.

Please note this is an RSVP event only for our existing members. Please respond to this email to confirm your attendance no later than March 07, 2019.

*** NOTE: This is an event only for members. ***

Thanks
Pijush Majumdar
President - Bichitra - The Bengali Association of MB Inc.