Detroit Evening Report: New Hamtramck Historical Museum exhibit to focus on Bengali diaspora

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Fiber artist Fatema Haque led a Nakshi Kantha, a Bangladeshi hand embroidery workshop, on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, as part of the soft launch of a new Bengali diaspora exhibit at the Hamtramck Historical Museum.

Fiber artist Fatema Haque led a Nakshi Kantha, a Bangladeshi hand embroidery workshop, on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, as part of the soft launch of a new Bengali diaspora exhibit at the Hamtramck Historical Museum.

The Hamtramck Historical Museum is getting a new exhibit based on the Bengali diaspora, focusing on communities in Hamtramck. 

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The museum had a soft launch on Saturday to get people excited about a full exhibit. 

Rumana Rahman is an anthropologist who serves on the committee for the new exhibition. She says the museum can capture more Bengali representation in a city with a large Bangladeshi community. 

“We want to really capture the diversity of our Bangladeshi heritage, our linguistic diversity, or textile diversity,” said Rahman. “So, yeah, I’m just really excited when I kind of feel like this is sort of the beginning. We’re just kind of scratching the surface.”

Rahman says the exhibit will feature rickshaw art, textile art, and sports like cricket. It will also incorporate different spiritual traditions of Bangladesh from the Buddhist, Muslim and Hindu communities.  

The exhibit’s launch is slated for Oct. 29.

Other headlines for Monday, Sept. 23, 2024:

  • Salina Intermedia School in Dearborn is hosting “Pollution Has No Boundaries: Where Do We Go From Here?” — a conversation about climate change with journalists, community activists and artists — from 6-8 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 30. 
  • Northwest Detroiters are invited to a community roundtable at Simanek Park from 6-7 p.m. Sept. 26 to share feedback on the city’s park design and improvement plans.
  • The Detroit Police Department is looking for individuals ages 15-24 to join the Youth Advisory Panel by the Sept. 30 deadline. Participants will serve as resources for the Board of Police Commissioners, help with civilian oversight and get educational, civic and networking opportunities. Youth should be in high school or college.
  • The Detroit Public Library main branch is hosting a free youth public safety town hall from 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1 to discuss students’ concerns and thoughts on violence at home, in schools and traveling between home and school.
  • The city of Detroit is hosting a Healthy Home Resource Day from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sept. 28 to share information about HOPE application assistance, water affordability plans, foreclosure prevention and more. The resource fair will take place at the Northwest Activity Center, 18100 Meyers St., Detroit.

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Author

  • Nargis Rahman
    Nargis Hakim Rahman is the Civic Reporter at 101.9 WDET. Rahman graduated from Wayne State University, where she was a part of the Journalism Institute of Media Diversity.