“An influential civil society leader, humanitarian, and advocate for Bangladesh and its people, Zahid F. Sarder Saddi, thanked US Senate Majority Leader Senator Chuck Schumer for his support of a bill to rename the streets from MacDonald and Church in Brooklyn, New York, ‘Little Bangladesh.’”

NEW YORK CITY, New York/July 29th, 2022 – Bangladeshi businesses in Brooklyn and Queens have enjoyed a wave of popularity. The prominence of the community and culture is solidified in a newly approved bill renaming MacDonald to Church in Brooklyn, “Little Bangladesh.”

On Thursday, July 14th the New York City Council approved the bill, renaming Brighton Beach Avenue and Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn as Ukrainian Way, and Woodside Avenue between 76th and 79th streets in Queens as Little Thailand. These communities have been instrumental in shaping New York City as a whole, and the rename is an effort to reflect that.

According to a recent study, prior to the pandemic, Asians in New York City owned 23% of all businesses. While a good portion of these businesses are local and serve the community on a smaller scale, South Asian workers fill many New York City kitchens, including those belonging to franchise restaurants. 40% of New York City taxi drivers hail from South Asia, including Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. Bangladeshi New Yorkers by these accounts make a significant contribution to the city economically. In establishing Little Bangladesh, New York City takes a step to recognize the demographic’s role in shaping the community and the culture of the city. 

Bangladeshi Activist Zahid F. Sarder Saddi personally thanked the US Senate Majority Leader for his strong support for the community as the city recognizes the Bangladeshi community and renames part of Brooklyn,  “Little Bangladesh.”

Zahid F. Sarder Saddi also thanks Mayor Eric Adams and the New York City Council for their help in passing the bill.

“This initiative is a celebration of the many contributions made by the Bangladeshi community in New York City,” says Bangladeshi Community Leader Zahid F. Sarder Saddi, Foreign Advisor to the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Begum Khaleda Zia. 

US Senate Majority Leader Senator Chuck Schumer (NY) recently made an appearance and spoke with the press at the Bangladeshi American Society in New York at the Gulshan Terrace Party Hall in Woodside, a residential neighborhood in Queens. 

Senator Schumer spoke about the importance of small businesses as well as fair wages for cab drivers in New York City.  “My family used to run a small business. Many Bangladeshis have become the owners of many small-to-medium businesses by working diligently. Bangladeshis are also a big part of the cab [taxi] industry in New York City,” Schumer says. “I am always vocal so that they can earn more. My father was a small businessman, my father-in-law was a cab driver, so I know how hard it can be for the working families of the Bangladeshi community.”

The Bangladesh Society, a non-profit community organization that promotes, spreads, and maintains Bangladeshi culture in the United States, held a recognition ceremony at the end of the event for people who helped to facilitate the parts of New York City to be renamed Little Bangladesh. Bangladeshi businesses in these areas, the Bangladesh Society feels, are crucial to keeping the culture alive.

Zahid F. Sarder Saddi has been involved in the Bangladeshi-American Community for over 25 years. He is an influential civil society leader praised for playing a pivotal role in carrying the voice of Bangladeshi Americans to lawmakers. In his work with the Bangladesh Society, Zahid F. Sarder Saddi has received countless accolades, among them a humanitarian award for his work during the COVID-19 Pandemic in helping promote vaccine distribution to the Bangladeshi population. 

The Bangladesh Society has provided community resources for Bangladeshi people living in the United States when needed, as well as providing a cultural network for expatriates and citizens to connect to. The Bangladesh Society responded to the COVID-19 outbreak by opening numerous vaccine clinics to guarantee access for many people who may have otherwise not received vaccines. They also worked to arrange and organize the shipment of vaccines to Bangladesh from New York City.

From providing taxi services to newsstands, from small businesses to doctors, the Bangladeshi community makes crucial contributions to New York City’s economy and culture. At every corner of NYC business, the medical sector, and even occupying a third of the NYPD’s traffic division, this community provides essential support to its city. 

On the importance of culture to the Bangladeshi community of New York City, Zahid F. Sarder Saddi says, “As a society, we’re dedicated to preserving the history and culture of Bangladesh for people who have emigrated from Bangladesh, but still wish to keep the history, traditions, and culture of their home country alive.”

Members of the Bangladesh Society, like lifetime member Zahid F. Sarder Saddi, continue their work to ensure the contributions made by the Bangladeshi community, both economic and social, never go unnoticed.

About:

The Bangladesh Society is an organization headquartered in New York City, where two-thirds of the Bangladeshi population of the United States resides. The group helps Bangladeshi expatriates assimilate into life in the United States while also preserving their own values and traditions. Bangladesh Society lifetime member Zahid F. Sarder Saddi is an influential civil society leader, humanitarian, and advocate for Bangladesh and its people. To learn more about Zahid F. Sarder Saddi, please visit www.ZahidFSarderSaddi.com or reach out to Zahid at [email protected] 

SOURCE: Bangladesh Society, 

Tag: New York City , Little Bangladesh