Abu Zafar Mahmood, The owner of Bangla CDPap and Allegra Home Care
Noman Sabit: Complaints have been received that expatriate Bangladeshi building owner are harassed after renting an office in the name of a business organization in New York, but not paying any rent for 6 months. Niharika NYC Corporation of Jamaica signed a 10-year lease agreement with New York’s well-established business firms Bangla CDPAP and Allegra Home Care for a business premises on Hillside Avenue in March this year. CDPAP and Allegra Home Care officers and employees have started living as a family on the upper floor before opening the office on rent as a commercial building. For the past 6 months, On the contrary has been harassing the building owner by sending legal notices for violation of lease without paying any rent. The court has issued a summons in the name of Abu Zafar Mahmood, the owner of Bangla CDPAP and Allegra Home Care, for the inability to pay the rent and the collection of huge arrears.
Mohammad Aminul Islam, the owner of Niharika NYC Corporation, said that Abu Zafar Mahmood, the owner of well-established New York business firms Bangla CDpap and Allegra Home Care, expressed interest in renting a building at Hillside Avenue (147-14) in Jamaica. The two had various discussions regarding office rent and finally they reached a decision. They signed the contract documents on March 21, 2023 in the presence of real estate brokers and attorneys of both parties.
If the total rent is 86 thousand 1 hundred 38 dollars. Aminul urged Zafar Mahmood several times to pay the outstanding rent, but he did not pay it.
Meanwhile, within a week of signing the contract, an employee of his office moved up as a tenant with his family. Aminul was told that an office worker would be upstairs. But there was no mention of the wife and children living there. In the meantime, the front door of the office and the door leading to the upper house have been changed and new locks have been installed. As a result, it was not possible for Aminul to observe what kind of renovation they were working on inside the office. Aminul was dismayed to see that electrical works including new bathrooms were even carried out without permission from the City Building Department. Changing the lock without paying the arrears of rent causes various problems in the internal maintenance. The new key was also not given to the owner of the building. Aminul became very worried.
This is the building on Hillside Avenue (147-14) in Jamaica. Abu Zafar Mahmood did not pay any money even after 6 months after taking the rent
Meanwhile, on July 11, Aminul received a legal notice through FedEx. It accused Aminul was violation of lease. In the notice, it is said that Aminul had mentioned two apartments with a shop, but in fact one apartment was found. There is no gas connection, heating connection and no hot water system.
Explaining the letter sent by Abu Zafar Mahmood’s attorney, Aminul said that if there is no hot water, how can his employee with his wife and children be living there since last March. There is no mention of any apartment in the contract. It is not a residential building but fully rented out as a commercial establishment. But considering that the tenant is a Bangladeshi and since there is living space above, any person can live there, but not as a sublet. Shahin admitted to Aminul that a journalist named Adithya Shahin, a newcomer to the United States and working in a mercenary company, paid Zafar Mahmood two and a half thousand dollars per month.
Aminul also said that the contract was changed several times before execution. Zafar Mahmood repeatedly insisted that whenever the property was sold, he should be preferred as the first buyer. Aminul did not agree. He said when I sell it will be seen. Zafar was a bit disappointed.
According to the terms of the contract, Aminul had to get a lot of speed to get the 3 months advance money. Aminul demanded payment of 31 thousand 500 dollars through cashier or bank check for 3 months advance security. Zafar objected to this. He wants to pay it by personal check. Almost two weeks passed like this. The matter was later finalized when both agreed on the condition that the keys would not be handed over until the personal check was cashed.
According to the mentioned conditions, the tenant should open an account in his own name for gas, electricity, heat and water within one month in the name of the tenant and keep it open. Zafar Mahmood has not done that even in the last 6 months. As a result, bills are regularly sent in the name of Aminul from the concerned department. There was no gas connection in the building for a long time. So, after a fresh inspection of the building, gas connection was given on July 12. As a result of the lock change, the plumbing company failed to connect the gas to the electrical connection and returned. The owner of the building Aminul opened a gas account in his own name and connected the gas to the electricity connection. Despite not getting the rent, the building owner has to spend a huge amount of money again to carry out the said works. Finally, Aminul resorted to the court. The learned court issued a summons in the name of Abu Zafar Mahmood, the owner of Bangla CDPAP and Allegra Home Care, for the inability to pay the rent and the collection of huge arrears on September 11, ’23.
Officials/employees of Bangla CDPAP and Allegra Home Care live on the floor above this building on Hillside Avenue in Jamaica
Aminul told this representative that the number of good people in the world is very less. Most people in New York know and know Abu Zafar Mahmood as an established businessman. But his inner and outer character is completely different. In various forums of the Bangladeshi community in New York, he gave various speeches in the guise of patriotism and social service. What is the use of spreading the word of social service and peace by keeping people in turmoil? Be it today or tomorrow, people will find out their true character. Neither I nor anyone else would know about his unethical activities behind the mask unless we directly associate with him or do business with him. He hopes that his real identity will come out to the people of the society very soon.
Aminul said that Zafar Mahmood’s behavior with the people of the country was not right at all. It is nothing but hypocrisy. Hypocrisy also has a limit. Aminul advises the expatriates to stay away from such people who wear the mask of a gentleman, talk in their mouths and have filth in their hearts. He said, no expatriate like me should perish in his clutches. That is why he advised expatriates to be alert.
Several journalists contacted Aminul to find out about his current problems. They come to the office and talk in a journalistic style and show off. Always be prompt in disclosing facts and keep copies of all documents. After a few days, why should everyone be silent? They seem to be manipulated or fear a masked villain.
When contacted Abu Jafar Mahmood, the owner of Bangla CDPAP and Allegra Home Care, he said in a short message on the mobile phone, I am ready to pay the due rent to the building owner. After signing the rental agreement, the building owner could not provide proper documents for other works of the building. He has hidden many things in this mixed use property details while preparing the commercial contract. We could have resolved the issue through the bilateral cooperation of lawyers on both sides. It is delayed only due to non-cooperation of the building owner. We have been supporting him since we rented the building. The owner has kept the building’s irregularities a secret for a long time.
Anyone who goes to the spot can see it. Still my office people went and met the owner with the bank cheque. Ask him to accept the check and discuss ways to resolve the issue.
The building owner did not cooperate but misbehaved with them. I appointed his very well-known attorney. Discussions between the two attorneys are also underway to resolve the issue Hope this problem will be solved soon if proper cooperation is done with good intentions. He said, I am ready to pay the rent. Floor renovation is underway to make the building usable.
In response to Zafar Mahmood’s words, Aminul said that no one came to him with the cheque. This is completely false. There is no question of mistreatment of his people. They were duly entertained and sent off. He also has a CCTV camera in his current office, so anyone who needs to come and see it will get proof.
When contacted, media personality Adithya Shahin, the current tenant of the upper floor of the building, said that he does not rent the said house. Working in Bangla CDPAP Services. As such, he has been given the opportunity to stay in that house unconditionally. Shahin said that he has already received several notices through the attorney to leave the house.
BP/SM
