In New York City (NYC), the party-based primary election is going to be held on June 22, 2021. Voters of NYC belonging to different parties will choose their party candidates for all the 51 Council Districts to finally race to become City Council Members in the final election scheduled for November of this year.
The primary election is very crucial and important, as it determines the party’s representatives. This election is also crucial and interesting as candidates contest against their fellow-party men of the same area, ethnicity, race, culture, color, or creed.
Although Bangladeshis are comparatively new in the US, they have emerged as a sizable population in NYC. Thus, noticeable numbers of Bangladeshi candidates are contesting in the primary election of 2021, so that at least some of them can run in the final election in November. The names of the Bangladeshi candidates that I could collect from several Council Districts are as follows:
No. 18 Mirza A. Rashid, Mohammed N. Mazumdar; No. 24 Moumita Ahmed, Mujib Rahman and Dilip Nath; No. 26 Badrun Khan & Sultan Maruf; No. 32: Helal Sheikh; No. 37 : Misba Abdin No. 39: Shahana Hanif and Mamnunul M. Haq.
Besides, Soma Syed, a lone Bangladeshi candidate, contests for Queens Civil Court Judge.
I think it will not be inappropriate to present brief credentials of some the Bangladeshi candidates.
The lone Bangladesh-origin attorney Soma Syed is running for Queens Civil Judge. Syed, the President of the Queens County Women’s Bar Association, is actively involved with many other social and legal organizations and came to America in 1989 at the age of. She was raised in Jamaica, Queens, and still lives in the same area along with her husband and family members. She went to Jamaica High School, City College of the City University of New York, and the Albany Law School of Union University.
She is an attorney with 17 years of legal experience and a law practice in Forest Hills. She candidly works to establish effective, independent and fair justice and representation in the judiciary for all. This year she is running for NYC Civil Court Judge from Queens County. Over 12,000 registered voters supported her candidature.
She is the principal lawyer of the Forest Hills-based law firm Soma Syed & Associates. She dedicates her legal career to the needs of immigrants, small business owners, and working people. She represents multi-faceted clients in all aspects of real estate law, foreclosure defense, business and corporate law, matrimonial and family law, immigration law, nonprofit law, and general litigation. She is also involved with many social and legal organizations.
If elected, she will work for justice for all, access to fair education, income equality, affordable housing, and proper representation. She will try to avail all types of funds of the city for small business, ensure food security and more facilities for women in the fields of jobs and education.
Mamnunul M. Haq had many struggles since he immigrated to the United States in 1991. To survive, he took driving as a profession and experienced the pain of misery, exploitation and deprivation. This inspired him to work for the working people and to keep them free from those struggles. It was this reason that led M. Haq to contest in the City Council 39 lection.
1,700 voters signed in favor of his candidacy as NYC Councilman of Council District 39. He raised $32,000 in donations within the first six to seven weeks. 90% of his donors are Bangladeshis. He receives even small donations and hopes for more donations in the coming weeks. He claimed he enjoys strong support from the Jewish, Latino and Bangladeshi communities. Taxi drivers, contractors, construction workers, delivery men and socio-religious, nonprofit organizations extended their support for Haq. He said he did not seek any endorsements from any organizations, as he does not believe in endorsements, but in cooperation.
If elected, he will devote his time and energy in alleviating the common problems of working people and uplifting their position in society.
Shahana Hanif, a daughter of a Bangladeshi ship jumper and a student of Brooklyn College is running to represent NYC Council District 39. She succeeded in attracting huge support and reputation among the communities of her District, as she was endorsed by many people, prominently by the Working Families Party, The Jewish Vote, LAMBDA INDEPENDENT DEMOCRATS OF BROOKLYN, Lambda Independent Democrats, Treeage, Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats, Muslim Democratic Club of New York, Women for Color for Progress, Churches United For Fair Housing Action, State Sen. Jessica Ramos (D, WF – 13), New American Children Action Fund, Downtown Women for Action, Voters for Animal Rights, Assembly Woman Catalina Cruz (NY 39), etc.
Her priorities are the Green New Deal for Brooklyn, Support Gender Equity, Divest from Policing, Participatory City Government, etc.
If elected, Shahana will be the first Muslim woman and South Asian Councilperson in NYC or anywhere else in the US.
Democrat, Mohammed N. Majumdar, who is running for NYC Council District 18, attained his master’s degree from Toro Law School and emerged as a regular columnist and TV commentator. He is a vocal pro-immigration, and anti-discrimination activist. He actively works to end the problems of housing, homelessness, joblessness and promotes equal education and job opportunities for all. The Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz awarded him with the highest honor in recognizing his pro-people activities and contributions. He also received numerous titles, awards and honors from various organizations, including New York City, New York State and Federal agencies.
He was related to several law firms for 22 years, retired as managing partner, but still performs managerial responsibilities of some smaller law farms. Since 2010, he has been an active member of the Local Community Board, Chairman of the Land Zoning, and Interim Chairman of Board 9 for two terms. Currently he is the Director of Parkchester, the largest Condo Board of the US.
Being a social activist, he plays a pioneering role to promote interfaith amity, to eradicate hate crimes and to integrate communities irrespective of color, ethnicity, and country of origin.
All these pro-people activities made him popular and acceptable to the people, he claimed.
A good number of prominent figures endorsed N. Mazumdar recognizing the brilliant jobs he rendered for the communities of his Country District 18 and elsewhere in NYC. Some of them are Councilman Ruben Dias, Bronx President Fernando Cobrera, assemblyman Jose Rivera, Chairperson Bronx CB7 Emanual Martinez, etc. Besides, many socio-cultural organizations for the same reasons endorsed him. Some of those are: Hispanic Bodega Association, Bangladeshi American Cultural Association, Bangladesh Women Association, Bronx Bangladesh Society, North Bangladesh Association, Comilla Society, Bangladeshi American Community Council, Moulvibazar Society, Redoy Bangladesh, etc.
When asked why people should vote for him, he replied that he is known to all and that he has been serving people for years.
Replying to a question about how he will serve his people if elected, N. Mazumdar said that he wants to reduce the socioeconomic gaps that prevails among people, end discrimination, increase job opportunity and housing facility; ensure quality education and eradicate violence of all kinds.
Finally, he said, “I require votes and cooperation of the dwellers of Council District 18 to implement my dreams.”
Opinions
To get the real position of Bangladeshi candidates in the forthcoming city primary elections, I talked with some known Bangladesh-origin personalities who are associated with people at the grass-roots level. Let me reproduce their brief opinions.
Hasan Ali is a leading Bangladesh-origin social activist who is an elected member (2020-22) of the Democratic party. Earlier he was also a Community Board Member (3-07). According to him, although Bangladeshi candidates have qualities and qualifications, many of them do not have appropriate support of the local Democratic Party. They must have recognition and acceptability of the local voters irrespective of their color, creed, ethnicity and country of origin. Our candidates should convince the voters that they have the capability to ensure the security of their lives, jobs and businesses.
Veteran journalist Moinuddin Naser opined that Bangladeshi candidates possess poor knowledge regarding the American electoral process. American voters can vote beyond their party lines. Voters of this country are aware of everything around them. Thy can present or speak with references, but the Bangladeshis, in most cases, cannot.
He said the politics of the Bangladeshi candidates are centralized within their own community. They have little contact with the voters of other communities. Even our new generation is not involved with our candidates. So, candidates need to repair these loopholes and follow the techniques of America’s mainstream politics.
Kazi Nayan, a vocal community activist said that he is disappointed at the performance of the Bangladeshi candidates. He made this comment as none of our community candidates ever won in any level of elections, County to Assembly. In the special election held on February 2 of this year, many Bangladeshis contested, but none of them got even the minimum required votes to be qualified. Covid 19 was not the sole reason. Some other issues contributed to such utter failure. Candidates did not properly reach the voters, who did not even physically see any candidates. Above all, disunity among the Bangladeshi candidates was disastrous, as more than one candidate contested in same Council District.
Still, I hope they will work hard for the upcoming NYC Council election of June 22, 2021 to bring the results that we desire and deserve.
Being an optimist I foresee that from our next generation, a credible team will emerge soon, having all requisite outlooks, qualities and qualifications matching their mainstream counterparts, who will inaugurate a golden era for the Bangladeshi community in the United States.
*The writer is a Bangladeshi-American author and researcher based in the United States.
April 21, 2021
The viewpoints expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints and editorial policies of Aequitas Review.
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