Four Politicians of Bangladeshi Origin Elected to State Legislatures in Four US States

Amid the Democratic Party's advance in the US midterm elections, the victories of four Bangladeshi-Americans in local-level elections have created a mood of joy in the expatriate Bangladeshi community. The four politicians of Bangladeshi origin have been elected to the state legislatures of New Hampshire, Georgia, Connecticut and North Carolina.

One of them belongs to the Republican Party, while the other three won contesting for the Democratic Party.

Abul Khan, who hails from Pirojpur, has won for the seventh time as a Republican nominee to the New Hampshire state House of Representatives.

Sheikh Rahman, who hails from Kishoreganj, has been elected unopposed for the fifth time as a Democratic candidate from District 5 of the Georgia State Senate.

Masudur Rahman, who hails from Chandpur and is a Democratic candidate, has won by a large margin for the third consecutive time from District 4 of the Connecticut State Senate. In addition, Hasib Fatemi, who hails from Gazipur, has been elected for the first time as a Democratic candidate from District 18 of the North Carolina State Senate.

Meanwhile, Saddam Azlan Selim, who hails from Noakhali, is serving in District 37 of the Virginia State Senate. The Democratic politician won in 2024, and the next election for his seat is due to be held next year.

Alongside the Democrats consolidating their position in both chambers of the US Congress, expatriate Bangladeshis see this continuing success of people of Bangladeshi origin at the local level as a very positive development. Shahjahan Sheikh, a mainstream politician from the Bronx in New York, said voters had given a befitting reply to President Trump's injustices of the past two years, and that this is the beauty of democracy. He expressed hope that the result would have a special influence on the working methods of politicians and top policymakers in the coming days, which ordinary working Americans have long expected.

Faizul Islam, an analyst of international politics and economics and a professor at the University of Maryland Global Campus, assessed that because of Trump's politics the Republican base has weakened considerably, and that removing Trump is now the only way for the party to revive.

Akhtar Hossain Badal, a Long Island businessman and chairman of the RLB Group, believes that since taking office for a second term, Donald Trump's various policies have created intense dissatisfaction among the public. In particular, the growing hostility with Iran, the deterioration of relations with international allies over tariff policy and the anti-immigration stance have annoyed many hardline Republican supporters as well. On top of that, the rising prices of daily necessities have deepened the cost-of-living crisis of ordinary citizens. In his view, people wanted an end to such a crisis, and its final reflection was seen at the ballot box.

Khorshed Khandkar, a Queens resident and mainstream politician, said the credit for this victory belongs to Donald Trump, because the candidates Trump attacked are the ones who won. At the same time, he called on the Democrats, saying that if they do not work sincerely in parliament over the next two years to meet the expectations of ordinary people, winning the 2028 presidential election will become difficult for the Democratic Party.

Ashraf Ahmed, a veteran writer and former scientist from Maryland, said he believed the midterm election was less a victory for the Democrats and more a victory of no-confidence in President Trump. He believes that after gaining control of Congress, how far the Democrats can overcome people's economic crisis despite the president's many obstacles is now the big test, and that if they cannot ensure that, the 2028 presidential election will take a complicated shape for them. However, this analyst does not see any possibility of a major change in Washington's overall foreign policy towards Bangladesh, whichever party leads the White House or Congress.