Res 0899-2019

By Council Member Constantinides (by request of the Queens Borough President) Whereas, The People's Republic of Bangladesh is a country located on the Indian subcontinent in south-central Asia bordered by the Bay of Bengal and the countries of India and Burma; and Whereas, In 1947, British colonial rule over India ended and Bangladesh, then part of Pakistan, gained independence; and Whereas, The provinces of East and West Pakistan were established in hopes of providing each nation a home for the their Hindu and Muslim religious beliefs; and Whereas, Beginning in 1948, economic, religious, political and cultural tensions developed and continued to escalate between East and West Pakistan; and Whereas, The war known as the Bangladesh War of Independence began after the Pakistani military junta based in West Pakistan launched Operation Searchlight against the people of East Pakistan on the night of March 25, 1971; and Whereas, The Bangladesh War of Independence ended on December 16, 1971, after West Pakistan surrendered and Bangladesh declared its independence from Pakistan as a state on March 26, 1971, which is now celebrated as a National Holiday; and Whereas, In January 1972, the Bangladesh flag was redesigned to honor and reflect those who died for the independence of Bangladesh; and Whereas, Between the years 1990 and 2000, New York City's Bangladeshi population increased more than any other Asian immigrant group in the city, growing from fewer than 5,000 to more than 28,000, and by the year 2008, burgeoning to over 57,000 individuals; and Whereas, Today, the City is home to nearly 80,000 Bangladeshi individuals who live, work and make countless economic and invaluable cultural contributions to daily life in New York City; now therefore be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York declares March 26th as Bangladesh National Flag Day in the city of New York. CD LS 10479 4/30/19