NYPD honours fallen US Bangladeshi officer

News Desk :

Outside a Bronx mosque, where New York City police officer Didarul Islam was honoured last week, fellow officers in formal navy uniforms solemnly displayed a banner featuring his photograph and the emblem of the Bangladeshi American Police Association (BAPA).

Islam was among four people killed in the shooting on 28 July at the NFL’s Manhattan headquarters, marking the first time a Bangladeshi American NYPD officer has died in the line of duty, reports AP.

His funeral highlighted the growing presence of the Bangladeshi community within the NYPD. Over 1,000 of the department’s approximately 33,000 uniformed officers are Bangladeshi American, according to BAPA, with a further 1,500 of Bangladeshi descent working in civilian roles.

This significant increase from just a handful of officers decades ago is attributed in part to a patriotic response to anti-Muslim sentiment following the 9/11 attacks, alongside active recruitment and word-of-mouth within the community.

At the funeral, 36 officers of Bangladeshi heritage wore traditional South Asian dress alongside their police badges, joining the crowd in prayer.
Shamsul Haque, a co-founder of BAPA and the first South Asian Muslim to reach the rank of lieutenant commander in the NYPD, said Islam’s legacy was one of hope, integrity, and the embodiment of the American dream.

Many Bangladeshi immigrants joined the NYPD after 9/11 to challenge stereotypes and demonstrate their patriotism. Haque, who immigrated in 1991, chose policing over a business career shortly after the attacks, despite initial scepticism from his family.

He recalled early challenges, including being singled out in counterterrorism training sessions. However, attitudes have improved as Muslim officers have demonstrated dedication and ethics.

To increase Bangladeshi representation, community members were encouraged to enter civilian roles such as traffic enforcement or school safety positions, which do not require US citizenship, before applying for the police academy after naturalisation. Around 60 per cent of Bangladeshi officers have followed this pathway. Didarul Islam himself began as a school safety officer.

The growing presence of Bangladeshis in the NYPD mirrors earlier immigrant groups who rose through the ranks. Currently, the department counts 10 Bangladeshi detectives, 82 sergeants, 20 lieutenants and four inspectors, according to Sgt. Ershadur Siddique, president of BAPA.

New recruit Ishmam Chowdhury, 26, who graduated in May, said Islam’s death so early in his own career was a stark reminder of the risks police officers face. Chowdhury and Islam share similar personal milestones, with both expecting children.

Chowdhury, who moved to the US in 2019, was inspired to join law enforcement after experiencing repeated robberies in Bangladesh. He began as a volunteer auxiliary officer before serving as a 911 operator and briefly joining the Washington, D.C. police force prior to returning to New York following naturalisation.

“This city, this country, is great because it doesn’t matter where you come from,” said Chowdhury. “If you work hard and are determined, you can succeed.”