Bangladeshi-Americans are stepping forward to boost their representation in mainstream US politics. In line with this, three Bangladeshi-Americans are running in City Council elections across three cities in California.
They are Shazia Hoq in Montebello (Los Angeles County), Mohammed Rahman in Perris (Riverside County) and M S Alam in Chino (San Bernardino County).
Members of the local Bangladeshi-American community have rallied behind the three candidates. Some are providing financial assistance, others are helping raise campaign funds, while many are offering personal encouragement and moral support.
Their involvement is helping the candidates run their campaigns and giving the Bangladeshi community an opportunity to strengthen its presence in local US politics.
The three candidates of Bangladeshi origin are actively campaigning to win seats on their respective city councils in the elections scheduled for 3 November.
Shazia calls for joining mainstream politics
Shazia Hoq is running for the City Council from District 1 in Montebello, Los Angeles County. Her rivals in the race are Georgina Tamayo, Kimberly Cobos Cawthorne and Rafael Santoya.
Being involved in business, writing and community leadership, Shazia Hoq has long taken part in social and civic initiatives. According to her, she brings nearly 20 years of experience working across business and community sectors.
In her campaign, Shazia Hoq emphasizes transparency and accountability in city administration, responsible budget management, safer neighborhoods and support for local businesses. Her goal is to ensure residents have a real voice in city decisions and receive reliable municipal services.
When asked why she entered local US politics, Shazia Hoq told Prothom Alo, "As a Bangladeshi-American woman, I feel we are far behind other ethnic groups in America. Since we live here, we must get involved in mainstream politics to benefit from what America offers and we need to lead the way for the next generation."
Mohammed Rahman confident of victory
Mohammed Rahman is contesting for the City Council from District 1 in Perris, Riverside County. His opponents are Guadalupe Gomez and Juan Carlos (JC) Franco.
Mohammed Rahman has worked with the United States Postal Service (USPS) for 27 years. Over his long career, he had the opportunity to interact with people from diverse communities, an experience he says is proving very helpful on the campaign trail.
Speaking about his campaign, Mohammed Rahman told Prothom Alo that the name recognition built through his postal career is helping him connect with voters and he remains optimistic about winning.
Mohammed Rahman's platform focuses on public safety, affordable housing, small business growth and creating more opportunities for young people. He is also emphasizing neighborhood amenities, including community policing, neighborhood watch programs, adequate street lighting and better sidewalks.
M S Alam seeks to leverage experience
M S Alam is running for the City Council from District 3 in Chino, San Bernardino County. His opponent is incumbent Council Member Marc Lucio.
An engineer by profession, M S Alam works as a full-time project manager in District 7 of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). He also teaches part-time at California State University, Long Beach and has conducted transportation engineering research and doctoral-level work at UCLA. He has been living in Chino for 18 years.
The main themes of Alam's campaign include safe and planned urbanization, better transit systems, strong infrastructure, responsible development and quality civic services. He believes city development should meet current residents' needs while creating opportunities for future generations.
When asked about delivering on his platform, M S Alam told Prothom Alo that he would work hard to implement the promises outlined in his campaign manifesto.
Significance of the Bangladeshi community support
While the election contexts differ for the three candidates, they share a common goal. Increasing Bangladeshi-American participation in local politics.
Shazia Hoq focuses on the participation of Bangladeshi-American women in mainstream politics. Mohammed Rahman prioritizes housing, public safety and neighborhood welfare. Meanwhile, M S Alam brings forward his engineering and project management background to advocate for planned urbanization and infrastructure growth.
In the United States, City Council decisions directly affect residents' everyday lives such as shaping roads, transit, housing, public safety, urban planning, local commerce and basic municipal services. As a result, the choices made by council members closely touch local livelihoods.
On 3 November, voters in Montebello, Perris and Chino will decide who represents them on their city councils. For these three Bangladeshi-American candidates, the race is not just about winning an election, but about securing a seat at the decision-making table for the Bangladeshi community.