Recent remarks from Kazi Fouzia, a member of Mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani’s transition team, have sparked controversy. She criticized fellow Bangladeshis who expressed pride in their family members joining the New York Police Department, suggesting they could become “murderers.”
This comment originated during a 2020 discussion titled “What’s App: Our Role in Black Liberation Movements,” coinciding with the height of the Black Lives Matter protests and aimed at South Asian families.
“What are you proud of? That your relatives will one day become murderers and brutally beat our people?” Fouzia stated in the resurfaced footage, expressing her views against the NYPD.
However, in the past, Mamdani himself had described the NYPD as “racist” but later apologized for his comments during his campaign.
Fouzia, who identifies as a “revolutionary organizer” and is affiliated with Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM), a nonprofit supporting South Asian immigrants, revisited her sentiments. She noted it was puzzling to see South Asian Americans celebrating law enforcement careers on social media.
“Isn’t that your pride, because one day your relative will become a murderer?” she reiterated.
This resurfacing of her remarks comes when New York’s Bangladeshi community is still mourning the loss of police officer Didarul Islam, killed in July. Mamdani had visited Islam’s family shortly after the tragedy.
While some leaders in the Bangladeshi-American community silently backed the police, they chose not to respond directly to Fouzia’s comments. Mohammad Ali, general secretary of the Bangladeshi American Association, expressed support for the NYPD, acknowledging that while a few officers may be problematic, most are dedicated to serving the community.
A rough estimate indicates around 3,000 Bangladeshi-Americans work in various law enforcement roles within New York City.
So far, neither Mamdani’s transition team nor Fouzia has issued comments regarding the backlash.
Mamdani had previously sought to reconcile with NYPD officers after labeling them as a public safety threat amidst the protests against police brutality.
This isn’t the first time Mamdani’s team members have faced scrutiny for contentious remarks. Katherine Almonte da Costa resigned shortly after being appointed when past social media posts resurfaced, where she made derogatory comments about certain groups in relation to policing.
