Part of a street in New York co-named Little Bangladesh

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A section of McDonald Avenue in Kensington of New York has been officially co-named “Little Bangladesh” to celebrate the Bangladeshi community there and its contributions to the neighbourhood.

Council member Shahana Hanif said “Little Bangladesh” was named to see the neighbourhood as “our home and to further establish our commitment to serving and protecting this community.”

Shahana Hanif, leaders from the local Bangladeshi community, city Comptroller Brad Lander, and Assembly member Robert Carroll unveiled the new street sign at the corner of Church Avenue on October 16, reports Brooklyn Paper, a local newspaper.

Shahana Hanif, who grew up in Kensington and is the daughter of Bangladeshi immigrants, managed to get the co-naming approved after just ten months in office.

“Lots of joy in Kensington today as the corner of McDonald & Church Aves was co-named ‘Little Bangladesh'” said Lander, who previously represented the council.

The growing Bangladeshi community has been a cornerstone of the area for years — especially on the streets surrounding McDonald and Church, filled with Bangladeshi cafés and restaurants.

About 16 percent of the city’s Bangladeshi population lives in Brooklyn, according to a 2019 survey by the Asian-American Federation. The number of Bangladeshi people living in New York City doubled between 2010 and 2020, according to city data.

Shahana Hanif is the first Muslim woman to be elected to the City Council. Carving out a community in Brooklyn hasn’t always been easy. In 2016, local community leaders expressed their concerns about deportations in the wake of Donald Trump’s presidential victory.

Local community groups sang and celebrated the co-naming, which has been a long time coming, according to former council member Brad Lander.

Local children sang and spoke about the importance of their heritage and the co-naming as they and their families waved American and Bangladeshi flags.

The co-naming solidifies the street as a permanent home for the local Bangladeshi community, Hanif said.