The Bronx is home to about 2,500 Bangladeshis, according to the 2000 census, and the vast majority of those residents live in Norwood.
So it was not surprising that 250 Bangladeshis from across the city gathered at the Church of the Holy Nativity on Bainbridge Avenue in Norwood on Sunday to commemorate the 39th anniversary of their country’s independence
On March 26, 1971, with India’s backing East Pakistan declared itself the independent state of Bangladesh and a war with West Pakistan continued until West Pakistan’s surrender on Dec. 16, 1971.
“Independence Day to me is commemorating the people who have died, and for their sons and daughters to have and enjoy freedom of speech, press and liberty,” said one young attendee who did not want to give his name.
The event’s guest speaker, Mohammed S. Rahman, Ph.D., a scientist with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, said those gathered for the event were “showing our solidarity,” with relatives back home.
Many of the guests wore traditional clothing and dined on a Bangladeshi meal of Chana Bhaji, Pajji and Samosa.
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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.