Bangladeshi-American promoted to captain in NYPD

Another Bangladeshi has been promoted to the rank of captain in the New York Police Department (NYPD). AKM Sufiul Alam Prince of Patuakhali district received the certificate of promotion ceremoniously on Friday, April 28. Prince was promoted to the rank of captain as the only Bangladeshi among the nearly two hundred promotions of the NYPD. At 10 a.m. on Friday morning at the Police Academy in Queens, New York, the current Police Commissioner Dermot Shea handed over the certificate of promotion to him in a grand ceremony.

Alam Prince is the General Secretary of the Bangladeshi American Police Association (BAPA). The current president of the organization Captain Karam Chowdhury, co-founder Lieutenant Commanding Detective Shamsul Haque and other members of BAP congratulated Captain Sofiul Alam on his promotion.

According to family sources, Captain Sofiul Alam is the youngest son of Advocate Akam Shah Alam and Jahanara Alam of Mithaganj Union of Kalapara Upazila of Patuakhali District. Safiul Alam was very talented since his student days. He passed SSC from Khepupara Government High School in Kalapara Upazila and HSC from Uddin Biswas College in Mojah. Later he completed honors and masters in law from Rajshahi University and migrated to America in 2000.

Meanwhile, before joining the New York Police Department in 2006, he earned a second bachelor's degree in management from Queens Borough Community College and a second bachelor's degree in criminal justice from John Jay College in New York City. After being promoted as a police sergeant in 2012, he worked for a long time at PSA Five in Manhattan. Then in 2017, after being promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, he joined 71 Presiscot as Integrity Control Officer (ICO). Before being promoted to the rank of Captain, he was working as an ICO in the Transportation Bureau of the Police. Alam Prince lives in Long Island with his two sons, Zoeb and Zain, and his wife Tanzina Islam Sharmi.

He attributed his success to the contribution of his parents, spouse and siblings as well as the encouragement of his friends. Meanwhile, Bangladeshi American Police Association (BAPA), NYPD Muslim Officers Society, Rajshahi University Alumni Association USA Inc. congratulated him for this unique achievement in NYPD.

Bangladeshi American Police Association (BAPAR) Executive Vice President Sergeant Ershad Siddiqui told the media that if Bangladeshis come to lead the top positions of the police department like captain, the people of the expatriate Bangladeshi community will benefit. Posts after captain are determined on political considerations. He expressed the hope that the number of Bangladeshis in various units of NYPD is gradually increasing and in the near future Bangladeshis will occupy the leadership seats of the higher positions of the police department.

It should be noted that currently the number of members of NYPD is about 36 thousand. There are about four hundred Bangladeshis in the regular army. Among them are one Deputy Inspector, 5 Captains, 13 Lieutenants, 37 Sergeants and 12 Detectives. Besides, more than seven hundred traffic police, school safety agents, police communication technicians, school crossing guards and other units of the New York City police department are working with great reputation and efficiency.

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