VTMBH Article: Body
A silent procession of many immigrant groups was held on Oct. 5, on the city line between Ozone Park, Queens and East New York, Brooklyn where renowned Bangladeshi photojournalist Mijanur Rahman was killed by a group of Hispanic men on Aug. 11, 2002, while he was returning home from work. The rally was held to demand that Rahmans killers be tried under hate crime legislation.
The silent procession, which began at 2 p.m., paraded through the streets around where Mijanur was killed and rallied at the corner of Eldert Lane and Liberty and Glenmore Avenues. This multiracial procession was led by Bangladeshi community leader and President of the local Beanibazar Samity Burhanuddin Kapil, Inspector Marino of the 75th Precinct and Assemblyman Darryl C. Towns of District 54 in Queens. Many different communities, irrespective of caste, creed, religion, race, gender, or age, participated in this procession.
The people carried posters, which read: We want the killers to be tried; Unity is strength; Where there is no trial there is no peace; and Peace is the major religion. This rally was held to protest the issuance of a second degree murder charge instead of a hate crime charge against the killers.
Councilman Erik Dilan addressed the crowd after the silent procession. He said that the process of renaming Forbel Street to Mijanur Street continues and that the name will be changed soon. Inspector Marino said that he would take the necessary steps to ensure that such incidents do not reoccur. City Councilman Charles Barron of District 42 in Brooklyn demanded a thorough investigation and trial of Mijanurs killers. Burhanuddin Kapil demanded better security for city line area residents and that Forbell Street be renamed soon.
Meanwhile, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) has also demanded that Mijanurs killers be charged under hate crime legislation. Krittika Ghosh, a community organizer at the AALDEF said that she contacted the Queens district attorneys office, as well as other influential institutions on this issue.
The silent procession, which began at 2 p.m., paraded through the streets around where Mijanur was killed and rallied at the corner of Eldert Lane and Liberty and Glenmore Avenues. This multiracial procession was led by Bangladeshi community leader and President of the local Beanibazar Samity Burhanuddin Kapil, Inspector Marino of the 75th Precinct and Assemblyman Darryl C. Towns of District 54 in Queens. Many different communities, irrespective of caste, creed, religion, race, gender, or age, participated in this procession.
The people carried posters, which read: We want the killers to be tried; Unity is strength; Where there is no trial there is no peace; and Peace is the major religion. This rally was held to protest the issuance of a second degree murder charge instead of a hate crime charge against the killers.
Councilman Erik Dilan addressed the crowd after the silent procession. He said that the process of renaming Forbel Street to Mijanur Street continues and that the name will be changed soon. Inspector Marino said that he would take the necessary steps to ensure that such incidents do not reoccur. City Councilman Charles Barron of District 42 in Brooklyn demanded a thorough investigation and trial of Mijanurs killers. Burhanuddin Kapil demanded better security for city line area residents and that Forbell Street be renamed soon.
Meanwhile, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) has also demanded that Mijanurs killers be charged under hate crime legislation. Krittika Ghosh, a community organizer at the AALDEF said that she contacted the Queens district attorneys office, as well as other influential institutions on this issue.