Bangladeshi politician Sir Abu Zafar Mahmood has been elected unopposed as a member of the Queens County Committee in the Democratic primary election in New York.
Sir Abu Zafar Mahmood has long been involved in mainstream politics in the United States. Recently, he has moved forward with renewed enthusiasm in politics by forming a new political platform called People United for Progress (PUP).
On June 25, during the Democratic primary election, he was elected unopposed. On June 29, at an organizational dinner hosted by People United for Progress at Gulshan Terrace in Woodside, New York, New York State Assemblyman Steven Raga announced Mahmood’s victory. Steven Raga himself was also elected unopposed in the Democratic primary.
The event on June 29 saw the presence of Deputy Chief of Intergovernmental Affairs for Queens County, Harris K. Parekh, Democratic Socialist Union leader Claire Valdez, and other prominent leaders, editors, and journalists from the Bangladeshi community.
In his opening remarks, Sir Dr. Abu Zafar Mahmood, President of People United for Progress, described the event as a significant milestone for Bangladeshis living in the United States. He stated that those who have contributed to and led the Bangladeshi community can now proudly say that they are part of the mainstream leadership in the Democratic primary election.
He mentioned that his unopposed election as a member of the Queens County Committee marks the beginning of a new chapter in history, and he credited this achievement to the entire community.
Sir Abu Zafar Mahmood emphasized the importance of support from fellow community members in any struggle, stating that morale is the greatest weapon, and his strength lies in the support of Bangladeshis and all members of the organization residing in the United States.
During the event, Sir Dr. Abu Zafar Mahmood presented the 14-point agenda of PUP on behalf of registered and unregistered citizens living in the United States. He mentioned that efforts will be made to implement this agenda by discussing it with top parties and leaders in the country. The agenda includes providing citizenship to all immigrants residing in the United States and bringing them under the tax system.
Other points in the agenda include ensuring medical and health services such as home care and CDPAP for minority immigrants, providing affordable housing for low-income people, ensuring the quality and safety of children’s food and cosmetics, securing job opportunities for students studying in the United States, pardoning expelled students and reintegrating them into educational institutions, waiving federal loans for students, granting freedom of expression, preventing the use of firearms and drugs, securing government funding for small businesses, promoting patriotism in the education system, strengthening relations between the United States and Muslim-majority countries, ensuring minimum wages and rights for Uber drivers, Yellow Cab drivers, and shop employees, ensuring women’s employment, and taking necessary steps to consolidate the strength of the superpower United States.
In his speech, New York State Assemblyman Steven Raga emphasized working together to ensure the basic rights of all minority groups residing in the United States. He mentioned the importance of their victory in the upcoming November election and called for the cooperation of the Bangladeshi community.
Steven Raga highlighted the Democratic Party’s commitment to securing the rights of underprivileged and low-income individuals in New York. He mentioned that in his first year, he allocated $30 million for the improvement of the education and health sectors for South Asian citizens and stated that this allocation will be increased and new investments will be made in the future.
As part of the first formal event of PUP, Sir Abu Zafar Mahmood, on May 3, officially endorsed several Democratic candidates, including popular New York State Assemblywoman Jessica Gonzalez Rojas and Assemblyman Steven Raga. During this event, Assemblyman Steven Raga announced Mahmood’s candidacy for the County Committee member position. Editors, journalists from all Bangladeshi media in New York, and community leaders expressed their enthusiastic support for him.
On June 14, PUP organized a reception at Jackson Heights as part of the Democratic primary election campaign. The event was attended by New York State Assembly members and Democratic candidates. Officials from the election team of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also attended the event in response to PUP’s invitation and expressed solidarity with the political agenda of PUP.
On the day of the Democratic primary election on June 25, PUP members, under the leadership of Sir Abu Zafar Mahmood, worked to raise electoral awareness among voters in Jackson Heights. The event featured speeches from Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Assemblywoman Jessica Gonzalez Rojas, Councilman Shekar Krishnan, Queens Civil Court Judge Sharifa N. Naser, Cassandra A. Johnson, and others. Later, the official social media account of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez published images of the PUP rally.