A historic community dialogue and reception with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was held in a festive atmosphere at Orchid Kitchen Restaurant in the Little Bangladesh neighborhood of Los Angeles.
The event, jointly organized last week by the Little Bangladesh Community of Los Angeles and the Mayor’s Office, brought together members of the Bangladeshi diaspora for an open and cordial discussion with Mayor Karen Bass over tea. Special guest Lamia Haque, an elected councilmember from Buena Park and a Bangladeshi-American, was also in
attendance.
The event turned into a vibrant community gathering with enthusiastic participation from professionals, business owners, journalists, youth organizers, and community leaders from various cities across Southern California. According to the organizers, this was the first time a
sitting mayor of Los Angeles visited the Little Bangladesh neighborhood to engage directly with the Bangladeshi community.
At the beginning of her remarks, Mayor Karen Bass criticized what she described as harassment of immigrants through operations carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She said her administration is giving the highest priority to protecting the safety and human rights of immigrants in Los Angeles. She also noted that, through her direct intervention, some such enforcement actions had been halted.
During the discussion, community representatives raised several key issues, including immigration challenges and possible solutions, establishing a permanent community center for Bangladeshi Americans, preventing hate crimes, declaring public school holidays for both Eid celebrations, supporting small businesses, and preserving the cultural
identity of the younger generation.
Responding to questions, Mayor Karen Bass said she remains committed to ensuring the safety of people of all religions, races, and ethnic communities in Los Angeles as she prepares for the next election. She specifically pledged to continue advocating for the protection and civil rights of undocumented immigrants.
The event was coordinated by Sabah Nabiha, founder of “Youth for Bass” and a coordinator in the Mayor’s Office. Community leaders including Maminul Haque Bacchu, Safiul Alam Babu, and Shamim Hossain also played important roles in organizing the event.
At the beginning of the program, Maminul Haque Bacchu welcomed Mayor Karen Bass with flowers. The event concluded with a dinner reception in honor of the guests.
