Debasis Chatterjee 2023

Dear BAGC Extended Family,
Greetings!!
On behalf of EC 2023, I would like to extend warm wishes to you all as we welcome the Year 2023. I hope the New Year brings peace and prosperity to you, your family and the entire BAGC community.

First and foremost, I would like to thank our outgoing President, Sonali Biswas, for her inspiring leadership during this past year. Team 2022 did an outstanding work despite the numerous challenges they faced as we gradually came out of the Covid situations. My team and I would like to congratulate the hard work done by Team-22. I would also take a moment to thank 2022 BOT team, Nomination Committee, Special Funds & By-laws committee for their roles in the organizational affairs during the past year.
As we embark into 2023, it will be after almost 3 years, we shall have the opportunity to plan our activities without the constraints of COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions. I am honored and humbled by the opportunity to lead the organization in 2023. I know it very well that our organization is an institution which has been served by a great many people from our community, who I truly admire and respect. I am fortunate to assemble a dynamic team comprising experienced, talented, young, committed, and energetic friends in our community. As you all are aware, post Covid, we are still facing a lot of challenges, be it availability of facilities, inflation, or unexpected shortage of supplies of essential items. My team will work keeping these constraints in mind and together we shall strive to provide you with a nice and enjoyable experience at all our events.
Banga Bhavan is our community home. It will be my priority to take care of Banga Bhavan and make sure the issues with its infrastructure are addressed as soon as possible.
We will continue and build on the fiscal control processes put in place by prior committees. For the first time this year, we are trying an internal audit team to start a continuous internal audit process to ensure compliance. I am exploring the possibility of documenting some of the processes with registration, financials etc. and starting a continuous audit function to ensure compliance with BAGC standards and Auditor’s guidelines throughout the year of operation.
Additionally, it would be our goal to find ways to eliminate some of the logistical issues while organizing the annual discussion session on Kali puja day, as well as rethink some structural changes in the setup of these meetings which will provide an opportunity for the community and committee members to discuss feedback, participate, appreciate and understand the nuances, efforts and challenges in the operation of our organization these days.
On a similar note, the transition planning between the outgoing and incoming EC needs a revisit due to current economic situation as well as the issues relating to advanced reservations of facilities, transportation, and external artists, which are becoming more challenging over the years. Once again, we shall consult with BOT to come up with a suitable outcome.
As we are approaching NABC 2024 in Chicago, this year’s EC events will be an opportunity to refine our organizational skills as a community. I hope EC 2023 will enable the community to get more prepared for the 2024 event. Please feel free to offer your suggestions and guidance as our team gets ready to serve the community this year.
I am confident that the community’s support and goodwill will keep us on track throughout this year.
Once again, Wishing you all a happy and prosperous New Year.
Warm regards,
Debasis Chatterjee
President BAGC 2023