Florida, USA: The 40th FOBANA (Federation of Bangladeshi Associations in North America) Conference will be held from September 4-6, 2026, at Holiday Inn Resort, 3011 Maingate Ln, Kissimmee, Florida 34747, Orlando, USA. The event is organized by the Bangladesh Somity of Central Florida.

The conference will be supported by the Bangladesh Society of Central Florida, Association of World Fair and Fest USA Inc, and Central Florida Sports Club Inc. This year’s conference will feature a gathering of the Bangladeshi diaspora, cultural programs, educational and business discussions, as well as various community development activities. The event is open to all expatriates and interested participants, and everyone is warmly invited to attend.

The Jackson Heights Beautification Group (JHBG) hosted its annual Halloween parade on Friday, Oct. 31, along 37th Avenue, from 89th Street to 76th Street in Jackson Heights. This marked the 34th annual Jackson Heights Halloween parade. Attendees of the parade were also given bags of treats as a reward for their participation.

People of all ages took part in the parade. JHBG Co-Chairs John McCaffrey Jr. and Edwin O’Keefe-Westley sponsored this event. O’Keefe-Westley also serves as a member of Queens Community Board 3. Live music was performed during the parade.

Multiple local leaders were also on hand for the parade, including Council Member Shekar Krishnan, State Senator Jessica Ramos and Assemblymembers Jessica González-Rojas, Catalina Cruz and Larinda Hooks.

Early in-person voting has begun in New York City for one of this year’s most closely watched mayoral elections. The main contenders are Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist poised to become the city’s first Muslim mayor; Curtis Sliwa, a Republican candidate; and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams is not running this year and has recently thrown his support behind Cuomo.

Mamdani has gained popularity among progressive voters with proposals such as universal free childcare, free bus services, and a rent freeze for nearly one million rent-regulated apartments. During the campaign, he has faced anti-Muslim rhetoric and has criticized Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

Cuomo, on the other hand, has described Mamdani’s policies as “economically unrealistic” and has emphasized his experience as the state’s governor to appeal to voters.

New York has allowed early voting since 2019, and in the June mayoral primary, roughly 35 percent of ballots were cast early in person.

New York — Democratic candidate for New York City Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has become one of the most talked-about figures in city politics ahead of the upcoming election. Calling for unity among Bangladeshi expatriates, Mamdani urged everyone to stay focused and resist misinformation campaigns.

“The upcoming November 4 election will make history,” said Mamdani. “We must not be distracted by confusion or propaganda. Only through unity can we win this battle at the ballot box.”

The remarks came on Monday evening at a community gathering jointly organized by the Jackson Heights Bangladeshi Business Association (JBBA) and Bangladeshis for Zohran at the Sanai Party Hall in Jackson Heights.

Mamdani reminded attendees of his earlier electoral success, “We defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo’s son by a 13-point margin. Yet, he remains in the race as an independent. His goal is to block our progress, but together, we will achieve our mission.”

He further said, “Our vision is to make New York City a livable city for everyone. In this world’s most expensive metropolis, we must ensure fair opportunities for all — especially for hardworking immigrants.”

As the first Muslim candidate in New York City’s history, Mamdani emphasized the importance of collective action, “To turn this city into a city of dreams, we must stay united. Muslim and South Asian voters must come out and vote in large numbers.”

The event began with a welcome address from Abdus Sobhan, member-secretary of Bangladeshis for Zohran. JBBA President Giyas Ahmed presided over the meeting, which also featured speeches from Shahnewaz, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Bangladesh Society; Imam Shamsi Ali, Director of Jamaica Muslim Center; Fakrul Islam Delwar, founding president of the Jamaica Bangladesh Friends Society; and Tarek Hasan Khan, General Secretary of JBBA.

In the upcoming election, 33-year-old Zohran Mamdani faces his main rival, 67-year-old independent candidate Andrew Cuomo. Political observers suggest that current Democratic Mayor Eric Adams withdrew from the re-election race following a request from former President Donald Trump. Trump has labeled Mamdani a “socialist Democrat,” warning that if he wins, New York City could lose federal benefits.

Meanwhile, reports indicate that Adams stepped aside amid corruption investigations, allegedly hoping for a presidential pardon from Trump. Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa is also being urged to withdraw from the race, as mounting political pressure from Trump’s camp seeks to prevent Mamdani’s victory by any means.

New York City has nearly 200,000 registered Muslim voters and over 300,000 South Asian voters. Mamdani, who was born in Uganda in 1991, is gaining growing support from African-American, Hispanic, and young voters, according to immigrant community leaders.

In contrast, Andrew Cuomo has been accused of attempting to create divisions between Muslim and Hindu communities, campaigning in mosques and temples while emphasizing his experience.

Zohran Mamdani was born on October 18, 1991, in Uganda to a Muslim father, Mahmood Mamdani, originally from Gujarat, India, and a Punjabi Hindu mother, filmmaker Mira Nair. When he was five, the family moved to South Africa, and two years later, they immigrated to the United States.

New York: Queens-based Bangladeshi business leader Fahad Solaiman has withdrawn his support for mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, citing the lawmaker’s stance on decriminalizing prostitution. Solaiman, a resident near Roosevelt Avenue, told The Post that backing prostitution equates to supporting human trafficking. He urged his mosque community to instead support former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent candidate.

“After sunset, you can’t walk down Roosevelt Avenue without seeing prostitutes,” Solaiman said after Friday prayers at Darul Hidaya Mosque.

Once a Mamdani supporter for his views on Palestine, Solaiman said he now sees the assemblyman as “a hypocrite.”

Mamdani, who co-sponsored a state bill to decriminalize sex work among consenting adults, has recently avoided detailed comments on the issue. Local mosque leaders joined Solaiman in endorsing Cuomo, who trails Mamdani by about 20 points in recent polls.

“We’re proud to support Andrew Cuomo to unite our city,” said Imam Qazi Qayyoon.

Mamdani’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Montreal: The first meeting of FOBANA’s newly elected Executive Committee was held virtually via Zoom. With the spontaneous participation of all members, the committee pledged to move forward with the organization’s future activities. The meeting was presided over by the newly elected Chairman Jahid Hossain Pintu and conducted by Executive Secretary Nehal Rahim.

Chairman Jahid Hossain stated that sub-committees will soon be formed to initiate all organizational activities. Executive Secretary Nehal Rahim called upon all newly elected members to play an active role in carrying out FOBANA’s programs.

Details regarding the upcoming 40th FOBANA Convention were presented on behalf of the organizing committee by Anwar Hossain Santu and Nazimul Ullah Liton. They announced that the convention will take place on September 4, 5, and 6, 2026, during the Labor Day weekend, in Orlando, Florida. The convention will be hosted by the Bangladesh Association of Central Florida.

In addition, 27 EC members present at the meeting actively took part in the agenda-based discussions and provided valuable opinions to ensure the success of FOBANA’s future initiatives.

Jubo League leader Mizanur Rahman, who was arrested for throwing eggs at National Citizens Party (NCP) Member-Secretary Akhtar Hossain, has been released on bail. The Queens County Criminal Court granted him bail at 9 p.m. local time on Tuesday in New York. At that time, Awami League leaders and activists greeted him with flowers and chanted slogans. Mizan said that Awami League President Sheikh Hasina also called him to congratulate him.

Mizanur Rahman stated, “I was supposed to be presented before the judge at 11 p.m., but to avoid the crowd of hundreds of Awami League activists, the court brought me before the judge at 8:30 p.m. Since the charges against me were not proven, the court granted me bail and set a date for next month. I don’t even know Zahid Khan, who filed the case against me. I believe this false case and my arrest were pre-planned, linked to the airport incident.”

The incident occurred on Monday, September 22, around 5 p.m. at Terminal 4 of John F. Kennedy Airport, when Mizanur Rahman threw eggs at Akhtar Hossain, who was part of the delegation of interim government Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus attending the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. Later that night, around 9:30 p.m., police arrested Mizan from Bangladesh Street in Jackson Heights.

Awami League supporters threw eggs at National Citizen Party (NCP) Member Secretary Akhter Hossen in New York, while he, along with the party’s Senior Joint Member Secretary Dr Tasnim Jara, was leaving John F Kennedy International Airport with BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami leaders yesterday (22 September). A man has been detained by New York police over the incident, New York-based journalist Sanjiban Sarkar told the BBC Bangla. He said the detained person’s name is Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury, who is reportedly an activist of the banned Awami Jubo League.

According to witnesses and videos shared on social media, Awami League supporters chanted slogans and harassed the leaders of the three political parties, including BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, until they boarded their vehicles. At the time, some of them hurled eggs at Akhter as he exited the terminal.

“The incident is not only an expression of political violence but also a glaring example of the government’s failure to uphold diplomatic dignity and ensure security during state visits,” the statement read.

The egging and assault incident at New York airport has once again shown that the Awami League feels no remorse for its misdeeds, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said today (23 September). “Everything the Awami League has done wrong will eventually be brought to justice in accordance with the law,” Fakhrul said in a Facebook post.

He also urged party leaders and activists to remain patient for the sake of the party and the country. Yesterday (22 September), eggs were thrown at NCP leader Akhter Hossen while he was leaving New York’s JFK Airport.

In the US as part of a Bangladesh delegation for the United Nations General Assembly, at the chief adviser’s invitation, NCP Senior Joint Member Secretary Dr Tasnim Jara, as well as leaders of the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, were also there. Several eyewitnesses said the act had been carried out by leaders and activists of the Awami League, a party banned in Bangladesh. Later, New York police reportedly detained a man identified as Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury in connection with the incident. He is said to be an activist of the Awami League.

The NCP blamed the “mismanagement of the embassy” for the egg attack on Akhter.

Bangladeshi supermodel Nibir Adnan has made the nation proud by gracing the runway at one of the world’s largest fashion events—New York Fashion Week 2025. Held from September 10 to 14 at Sony Hall, Manhattan, New York City, the event brought together renowned designers, models, celebrities, and fashion enthusiasts for a spectacular and diverse runway showcase. Models walked the runway in the creations of over 130 acclaimed designers. The event featured 28 Latin American brands from countries like Argentina, Mexico, and Colombia, alongside international brands from Japan, the United Kingdom, and Portugal.

Before the main event, on September 8, Nibir Adnan participated in the casting round through his agency CG Models. Nearly 3,000 models from around the world competed in this casting, where Nibir Adnan qualified to secure his place on the main runway. Among them, he proudly represented Bangladesh, highlighting the nation’s prestige through his presence and performance on the international stage.

During the three-day event, Nibir walked for five international designers, including O4BH (United Kingdom), Monkstr (Austin, Texas), The Tokyo Vibes (Japan), Runway7 Fashion (New York, LA, Miami), and Emma Ritz (Tokyo). His makeup was done by Book of Beauty, with photography by Anja Stoll.

Speaking from New York about participating in one of the world’s largest fashion weeks, Nibir Adnan said: “This is a moment of immense pride for me, not just as an individual, but as a Bangladeshi. Representing my country on the global stage of New York Fashion Week is truly a dream come true. Every time someone asks me, ‘Where are you from?’ and I say, ‘I’m from Bangladesh’—I get goosebumps. Sharing the same platform with international celebrities and receiving their appreciation has been surreal. Their support and kind words have touched my heart. This success is not just mine; it’s for every young dreamer back home who thinks the world is too big and their country too small. I want to say: we belong. We rise. We represent.”

Notably, during the fashion week, on September 11 he also participated in the International Heritage Fashion Week, and he is scheduled to take part in Couture Fashion Week on Saturday, where his performance will further shine a spotlight on Bangladesh.

Supermodel Nibir Adnan has worked with nearly all major local brands and extended his career internationally in Mumbai, India, representing products for Amazon India, Raymond, Spykar, among other Indian brands. He has also brought pride to Bangladesh as the brand ambassador for the world-renowned Italian brand Bulgari Perfume, and has worked as a model for brands based in London and Dubai, in addition to Dhaka and Mumbai. Nibir has received numerous international honors and recognition, including the NRB Award in the ‘International Model of the Year’ category on September 14 in New York.

Apart from modeling, this supermodel is steadily entering acting. This year, he made his big-screen debut with the film ‘Esha Murder’.