VTMBH Article: Body
Outstanding and promising Bangladeshi photojournalist Mijanur Rahman was killed on Sunday night by a group of Hispanic men. Four other Bangladeshis were hurt in the attacks and are now in the hospital.
Mijanur Rahman, 37, was the senior photojournalist for the Daily Inqilab of Bangladesh before he came to the United States. He is survived by his wife and son in Dhaka. Rahman, who came to the United States about three years ago, was undocumented, but friends said he had applied for immigration to Canada. He lived at 146 Forbell Street with two friends, Siddique and Kabir Ahmed.
Khaled, an eyewitness to the attacks, told Bangla Patrika that on Sunday evening a group of Hispanic youth wanted to steal a bicycle from Atique, a young Bangladeshi delivery boy, and as a result there was an altercation between a group of Hispanics and Bangladeshis. The Hispanic men then left the scene.
Khaled said that at around 10 p.m.the men reappeared and started firing bullets into
the air from their car, driving along Glenmore Street towards Forbell Street. According to Khaled, a stray bullet hit the window of 121 Forbell Street.
According to available reports, the Hispanic men waited in two cars at the corner of Forbell Street and Liberty Avenue to attack the Bangladeshis. At around 10:45 p.m., four BangladeshisHakim, Moinul Islam, Joynal and Ali Iqbalwere attacked with a baseball bat while crossing the street. The reports said the Bangladeshi men managed to flee the scene after being beaten mercilessly. They were later admitted to Jamaica Hospital.
According to Khaled, Rahman, who worked at a local establishment, was walking home on Forbell Street. We got him, Khaled heard someone scream and then Rahman was hit with a bat. Before his death, Rahman screamed, alerting the surrounding area. His body reportedly fell to the ground after one blow. The assailants fled the scene before the police arrived. Rahmans body was later removed around 4 a.m.
Since 1981, Mijnaur Rahman published pictures and his writings in many Dhaka newspapers. At first, he worked at the Daily Azad of Dhaka and would send pictures to the Weekly Jagaran and Janomat of London regularly. He once worked with the Islamic Foundation of Dhaka as the photojournalist for Agrapatik Magazine. He joined the Daily Inqilab as the photojournalist in 1986. He earned an award from the Bangladesh Photojournalist Association for taking a rare picture of pro-democracy advocate Noor Hossain, who was shot by police during an anti-autocratic demonstration on November 10, 1987 in Bangladesh.
A shadow fell over the whole community after the death of Rahman. Telephone calls were received continuously in our office from community members wanting news about Rahman. Bangladesh Society General Secretary A.K.M Fazle Rabbi and Jalalabad Association General Secretary Misbah Majid, in separate messages, condemned the killing and demanded that authorities investigate the incident and arrest the attackers. Mohadeb Sarkar, Joint Convenor of the Probashi Nagarik Committee, visited the site of the attacks and demanded that the assailants be severely punished.
In addition, Ozone Park Bangladeshis are increasingly fearful. Nurul Islam, who lives on Forbell Street, said that he had never experienced such a terrible situation. He said that such conditions make it difficult to continue to live in the area. Many Bangladeshis in Ozone Park allege that the police response to the attacks was insufficient.
Mijanur Rahman, 37, was the senior photojournalist for the Daily Inqilab of Bangladesh before he came to the United States. He is survived by his wife and son in Dhaka. Rahman, who came to the United States about three years ago, was undocumented, but friends said he had applied for immigration to Canada. He lived at 146 Forbell Street with two friends, Siddique and Kabir Ahmed.
Khaled, an eyewitness to the attacks, told Bangla Patrika that on Sunday evening a group of Hispanic youth wanted to steal a bicycle from Atique, a young Bangladeshi delivery boy, and as a result there was an altercation between a group of Hispanics and Bangladeshis. The Hispanic men then left the scene.
Khaled said that at around 10 p.m.the men reappeared and started firing bullets into
the air from their car, driving along Glenmore Street towards Forbell Street. According to Khaled, a stray bullet hit the window of 121 Forbell Street.
According to available reports, the Hispanic men waited in two cars at the corner of Forbell Street and Liberty Avenue to attack the Bangladeshis. At around 10:45 p.m., four BangladeshisHakim, Moinul Islam, Joynal and Ali Iqbalwere attacked with a baseball bat while crossing the street. The reports said the Bangladeshi men managed to flee the scene after being beaten mercilessly. They were later admitted to Jamaica Hospital.
According to Khaled, Rahman, who worked at a local establishment, was walking home on Forbell Street. We got him, Khaled heard someone scream and then Rahman was hit with a bat. Before his death, Rahman screamed, alerting the surrounding area. His body reportedly fell to the ground after one blow. The assailants fled the scene before the police arrived. Rahmans body was later removed around 4 a.m.
Since 1981, Mijnaur Rahman published pictures and his writings in many Dhaka newspapers. At first, he worked at the Daily Azad of Dhaka and would send pictures to the Weekly Jagaran and Janomat of London regularly. He once worked with the Islamic Foundation of Dhaka as the photojournalist for Agrapatik Magazine. He joined the Daily Inqilab as the photojournalist in 1986. He earned an award from the Bangladesh Photojournalist Association for taking a rare picture of pro-democracy advocate Noor Hossain, who was shot by police during an anti-autocratic demonstration on November 10, 1987 in Bangladesh.
A shadow fell over the whole community after the death of Rahman. Telephone calls were received continuously in our office from community members wanting news about Rahman. Bangladesh Society General Secretary A.K.M Fazle Rabbi and Jalalabad Association General Secretary Misbah Majid, in separate messages, condemned the killing and demanded that authorities investigate the incident and arrest the attackers. Mohadeb Sarkar, Joint Convenor of the Probashi Nagarik Committee, visited the site of the attacks and demanded that the assailants be severely punished.
In addition, Ozone Park Bangladeshis are increasingly fearful. Nurul Islam, who lives on Forbell Street, said that he had never experienced such a terrible situation. He said that such conditions make it difficult to continue to live in the area. Many Bangladeshis in Ozone Park allege that the police response to the attacks was insufficient.