The Embassy of Bangladesh in Mexico City, in collaboration with the National Museum of Mexico, hosted a seminar titled “Bridging Bangladesh and Mexico through Literary Dialogue” on October 17, 2023, at the National Museum of Mexico, located in the heart of the capital’s historic downtown area. The seminar aimed to unite distinguished writers from both countries to explore and highlight their shared literary connections and rich cultural heritage.
The seminar began with the screening of a documentary introducing Bangladesh and its cultural richness to the audience. Museum Director Alejandra Gomez Colorado appreciated the Embassy’s initiative in fostering a literary dialogue between the two cultures and emphasized celebrating cultural diversity. Prominent cultural figures in Mexico, Pablo Rulfo, Arturo Vazquez, Fabrizio Ramirez, Eugenio Partida, Ernesto Lumbreras, and renowned Bangladeshi writer Anis Uz Zaman, honored the event with their presence.
During the discussions, all the speakers stated the importance of having literary ties between Bangladesh and Mexico and the significance of presenting Bangladesh’s cultural heritage to Mexican readers. Moderator Fabri Ramirez paid his sincere tribute to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and praised the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Other speakers, in their discussions felt the necessity of translating the literary works of Bangladesh and Mexico directly from Spanish to Bangla and Bengali to Spanish so that the readers can be aware of the literature and culture of both the countries as well as protect the literature of both the countries from mistranslation. They also opined that despite the geographical distance, there are similarities in history, culture, tradition, and values of both the countries.
Ambassador Abida Islam expressed gratitude to the distinguished guests in her speech. She emphasized the significance of literary translation, especially from Bangla literature to Spanish, and spotlighted key figures uniting these two literary realms. Ambassador Islam emphasized the need to explore Bangla literature and its power to unite people across cultures through language. At the event, speakers announced plans to translate works by five emerging Bangladeshi writers within the next one year.
The seminar concluded with a special presentation by the Embassy of Bangladesh to the Museum, which included a Bangladeshi Nakshi Kantha and a painting by the renowned Mexican artist Mrs. Isabel Zaman, which will become part of the Museum’s collection.
Before the seminar, accompanied by all embassy officials, Ambassador Islam, and Museum Director Alejandra Gomez Colorado, inaugurated the “Bangladesh Corner” at the National Museum Shop, aiming to enhance the Museum’s collection and promote cultural exchanges between the two friendly nations. This dedicated section showcased various Bangladeshi handicrafts and publications generously donated by the Embassy for both exhibition and sale. The proceeds from the sale of these items will support the Museum’s welfare initiatives, further fostering meaningful cultural exchange between Bangladesh and Mexico.