Bangladesh in the Heartland: Sharing Home with the People of Nebraska

On September 6, 2026, I got to do something I will remember for a long time. I represented Bangladesh at the Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island, not as a guest passing through, but as a Cultural Ambassador, sharing home with the people of Nebraska.

I was there with the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Fulbright Association. Twenty-nine of us, from 20 countries, came together at Fonner Park for a showcase called “From Around the World to Nebraska.” Flags, clothing, music, and a lot of conversation. For a few hours, the world felt close.

That was the point. Not just to set things on a table, but to meet people. Parviz Jamalov, who helped organize the day, had a simple hope - bring the world to Nebraska’s biggest gathering, and let those meetings happen face to face. Standing there, it felt real.

"You didn’t just attend the Nebraska State Fair. You became part of it."

Jamie Parr, Executive Director, Nebraska State Fair

Our Bangladesh table was small, and it held a lot. The flag. Traditional clothing, so people could see the color and the stitch up close. Maps. A sign in two scripts. People stopped, asked where we were from, and stayed. Some had never met anyone from Bangladesh. Others already knew the food, the cricket, or a friend from home. Either way, the country became a person in front of them. That is what representing home feels like. You answer the questions. You listen just as much as you talk.

Local4 and Nebraska TV both covered the day. Local4 wrote about cultural ambassadors bringing part of the world to fairgoers. Nebraska TV called it a chance to travel the world without leaving Fonner Park. I was proud that Bangladesh was part of both stories.

“I felt like, 'what if we just really bring the world to Nebraska State Fair?' because it's the biggest signature event in Nebraska. And I always had the dream to do that. So today we're bringing this dream to life,” 

-Parviz Jamalov, UNL Fulbright Association

The day did not end at the booth. We also visited the Grand Island Police Department. The officers welcomed us, showed us around, and walked us through their vehicles and rescue equipment. A group from 20 countries, standing with them, asking ordinary questions. It was one of the clearest parts of the trip. Community looks different from country to country. The human part is the same. You show up. You explain. You let people see you.

Before we left, the Nebraska State Fair gave us Certificates of Recognition. It was signed by Executive Director Jaime Parr. It was a gratitude for sharing the culture and spirit of Bangladesh with the people of Nebraska. Then it says the line I keep coming back to:

You didn’t just attend the Nebraska State Fair. You became part of it.

That is the larger feeling. It was not only a visit. It was a chance to carry Bangladesh into a public place in Nebraska, and to leave a little of Nebraska with me too. Representing your country is a serious thing. Doing it among friends from 20 nations, in the middle of a fair, made it feel both big and personal.

Thank you to the UNL Fullbright Association, Nebraska State Fair, Jaime Parr and the fair team, the Grand Island Police Department, Local4, Nebraska TV, and every person who stopped to talk. And to the other ambassadors, who made 20 countries feel like one good afternoon.

Grand Island is a city in central Nebraska, in the middle of the United States. Nebraska is a Great Plains state, known for farming and open land. The capital, Lincoln, is about a ninety-minute drive to the east.

The Nebraska State Fair is the state’s big yearly public gathering, held at Fonner Park in Grand Island. An American state fair is part festival and part community day: livestock and farming displays, food, music, and people from across the state coming together. The Nebraska State Fair dates to 1868. For a few days each year, it is one of the largest places in Nebraska where strangers actually stop and talk.

References: 

Local4: Fulbright ambassadors share global cultures at Nebraska State Fair

Nebraska TV: Fulbright scholars from 20 countries bring global culture showcase to Nebraska State Fair