Staff Reporter: The same individual who once publicly insulted the chairman and the trustee board of the Bangladesh Society in New York by calling them ‘a goat’s third kid’ has now been elected as the chairman of that very board- sparking widespread criticism and discontent among society members and the Bangladeshi community in New York.
On May 22, 2024, at a meeting held at Smart Tech in Jackson Heights ahead of the Bangladesh Day Parade, former convener Shah Nawaz referred to the trustee board and its then-chairman M.A. Aziz using the derogatory phrase. Shah Nawaz said, ‘The trustee board of Bangladesh Society is the goat’s third kid.’ His remark drew sharp protest from former society president Abdur Rob and general secretary Ruhul Amin Siddiki, who immediately demanded he withdraw the comment. However, Nawaz neither retracted the statement nor expressed any regret.
The next day, on May 23, another leader of the society, Sarwar Khan Babu, confronted Shah Nawaz outside Nabanna Restaurant in Jackson Heights about his disparaging comment. Babu reminded him of his own candidacy for vice president of the society and said that someone of his stature had no right to make such offensive remarks. According to Babu, the conversation quickly escalated, with Nawaz making personal attacks on Aziz’s business and family. At one point, Shah Nawaz allegedly shouted in front of witnesses, ‘I will shoot Aziz.’ One of those present was expatriate Akhtar Hossain, among others.
On June 4, 2024, during a press conference at a party center in Jackson Heights, Shah Nawaz, a home care businessman, was accused of openly threatening to shoot M.A. Aziz, now chairman of the trustee board. At the press conference, Sarwar Khan Babu detailed the incident, saying, ‘No one has the right to issue death threats, especially in a country like the United States.’ He also declared his willingness to testify in court if necessary.
In another controversy, Rano Nawaz, the wife of Shah Nawaz and co-convener of the Bangladesh Day Parade, reportedly struck joint convener Syed Akikur Rahman Faruk during a disagreement over the selection of the parade’s Grand Marshal. Faruk later stated, ‘She physically assaulted me in front of everyone, but no one protested. I sought justice, but it never came.’
The situation reached a boiling point on Sunday, May 4, during a joint meeting of the Bangladesh Society’s executive council and newly elected trustee board. In a surprising and widely criticized move, the same person who had previously insulted the board was elected its chairman. This has caused deep resentment among society members and Bangladeshi expatriates across New York.
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