Bangladesh unrest stirs fear on Long Island for loved ones' safety

As anti-government clashes swept Bangladesh in the lead-up to the resignation of the country’s longest-serving prime minister, a Long Island nonprofit focused on the Asian community started fielding nonstop calls about the unrest.

Some of the 30 or so callers to the Syosset-based Asian American Institute for Research and Engagement were concerned about a lack of communication with relatives in Bangladesh amid internet outages, said Farrah Mozawalla, founder of the nonprofit. Most of those callers had also urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to step down, with the establishment of a caretaker government to ensure the country did not fall into civil war.

"I haven't received one person who is in support of the government," said Mozawalla, whose organization tries to connect callers to the State Department and other government services that can assist them.

On Long Island, many in the Bangladeshi American community are paying close attention to the ouster of Hasina in the wake of protests that have reportedly left more than 200 people dead in the nation of 170 million. For many, the turmoil in the country that borders India hits home as they fear for their relatives' safety and deal with worry after losing contact though the internet with parents and other loved ones.

In Suffolk County, roughly 2,400 people are considered "Bangladeshi alone," according to a 2021 census estimate. Nassau had about 2,800 people in that category.

"It’s been scary hearing what's happening and just the level of unrest and violence that has transpired in the past few weeks," said Sadia Chaudhry, who is of Bangladeshi descent and has relatives who live in the country.

Even with the loss of life and the unrest, Chaudhry, of Roslyn, hopes the events can be the seeds of change.

"I think most Bengalis are really invested to see what happens to our country at this point," said Chaudhry, board member of the Asian American Institute for Research and Engagement.

But what helped set forth the events that led to the ouster of Hasina, the longest-serving female head of state in the world, was peaceful protest from students last month. The students expressed their disapproval of a quota system in which they said that government jobs were going to people with connections to Hasina’s party.

The protests came as the country deals with economic distress, which includes a dip in foreign exchange. Moreover, young graduates often face difficulties finding good jobs.

On July 15, the protests turned violent as students came into conflict with activists for the government and others. Tear gas was disseminated, schools were closed and the internet was turned off.

And so the protests grew, drawing out thousands of people. Hasina resigned, fleeing Monday in a helicopter and ending her 15-year rule.

For weeks before the resignation, Deloar Khan, 50, had been concerned. His parents and sisters live in Bangladesh and he had been unable to reach them.

"Every one of us were very concerned, because so many people we have in Bangladesh and we could not communicate [with them]," he said.

Khan has since been able to contact his relatives. As for his native country, he said: "We just need a peaceful life in Bangladesh."

Rahat Hossain, of Huntington, said she was very disturbed to see the events unfold in her homeland. At that time, she had cousins and other relatives she was unable to contact.

Hossain is a bit more relieved now that the prime minister has resigned. 

"I hope and pray that things will go in the right direction from today on," she said.

With AP

By Tiffany Cusaac-Smith

tiffany.cusaac-smith@newsday.com@T_Cusaac

Education: Howard University 

Tiffany Cusaac-Smith came to Newsday in 2023 after being a race and history reporter at USA TODAY, where she wrote enterprise and spot articles examining how the past shapes the present. Previously, she worked as the race and justice reporter at the USA TODAY Network of New York, covering issues such as criminal justice reform, housing, environmental justice, health care and politics. At The Journal News/lohud.com in Westchester County, she covered Yonkers, the state's third-largest city. She also worked at The Associated Press in Atlanta.

Honors and Awards: Criminal justice reporting fellowship with the National Press Foundation;  New York News Publishers Association award for distinguished investigative reporting;  Contributed reporting for Best of Gannett honor; Member of Table Stakes, a program funded by the Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund and managed by the American Press Institute to transform local news.