The term Diaspora is derived from Greek word Diasperian implying sowing or scattering seeds. Originally it was applied to Jewish people outside Palestine. However, at present it is applied to displaced people dislocated from homeland and relocated in a foreign land. International migration due to war and territorial conflicts, geographical and environmental changes leads to influx of refugees. Sometimes voluntary migration in search of better employment opportunities or to be in the forefront impels settlement in foreign land.
Diaspora figures prominently in Social Sciences like Political Science, Sociology, Anthropology, Economics etc. It also has ramifications in History and Literature.
The Bengali Diaspora is an integral part of the Indian Diaspora. Non resident Bengalis are interspersed throughout the lengths and breadths of the world. They have maintained their emotional attachment to their motherland and sought to perform their role as bridge builders between their country of residence and their original homeland.
There has been an enormous proliferation of literature on Diaspora and centres for Diaspora studies have mushroomed in various parts of India. However, none of them has established any centre exclusively devoted to studies on the Bengali Diaspora in particular and Indian Diaspora as a whole.