Celebration of Bengal?s heritage and its future is the motif of the North American Bengali Conference (NABC), hosted by the Tagore Society of Houston.

The aim of the conference is to bring together the Bengali diaspora in the US, Canada and even Mexico, to ignite their minds and spirits and play a major role in the resurgence of Bengal.

?We want to establish a platform for the non-resident Bengalis, to exchange ideas to create a cohesive Bengali identity to better our future,? said Samit Ray, member, NABC.

As the curtain-raiser to the year-long gala, NABC organised Banga Bhasha Dibas on Tuesday at Science City, to commemorate the cause of the Bengali language.

The conference is scheduled to be held in Houston, Texas, between June 30 and July 2, 2006, and the motto for the meet is ?Deliver the difference to leave a mark?.

?We are proud to host this grand cultural extravaganza in Houston. Today?s function is a preview to what is going to take place there in a few months,? said Partha Sen of NABC.

The conference will see performances by reputed artistes, such as Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Kumar Bose, Anindo Chatterjee and Bangla rock band Cactus.

Formed in 1980 by the Cultural Association of Bengal, NABC aims to catalyse the economic advancement and social equality in the sub-continent and ensure that Bengalis play a vital role in the process.

?We hope NABC 2006 will be part of the dawn of a new era that will see Bengalis come together and change not only Bengal, but also the subcontinent,? said Sen.