Voices of Bangladesh: The Journey to 50 was an oral history project aimed at highlighting the untold roles and contributions of various individuals in shaping Bangladesh’s 50-year history. The project focused on documenting the efforts of different people, including the significant roles played by women and minority groups, in shaping the nation’s narrative. Supported by the American Embassy in Dhaka and implemented by the Bengal Foundation, this initiative sought to preserve the stories of those often overlooked in traditional historical records.

Bangladesh celebrated 50 years of independence in 2021, and 2022 marked 50 years of U.S.-Bangladesh diplomatic relations. To commemorate these milestones, this oral history project recorded interviews with Bangladeshi leaders, activists, and exchange alumni, capturing their contributions to the development of Bangladesh and its friendship with the United States. The project centered on the voices, stories, and memories of women and other underrepresented communities, such as indigenous groups, whose contributions were often excluded from historical archives. The recorded videos were made available online: Voices of Bangladesh YouTube Channel. & website: voicesofbangladesh.space/

As part of the program, mobile exhibitions were organized in five divisional areas across the country: Rajshahi, Khulna, Dhaka, Chattogram, and Sylhet. The final stop was in Dhaka, where U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Helen LaFave and Ted Kennedy Jr. visited the Bengal Foundation to view the “Traveling Library” exhibition.