ABSA Holds Annual Picnic in Grand Celebration in New York

The American Bangladeshi School Safety Association (ABSA), an organization of school safety officers working under the New York Police Department (NYPD), held its annual picnic and outdoor gathering in a festive atmosphere.

The event took place on Saturday (July 11) at Belmont Lake State Park on Long Island, New York, bringing together school safety officers, their families, and distinguished members of the Bangladeshi-American community.

The park was filled with excitement as a large number of school safety officers, family members, and community guests attended the daylong celebration. The program was hosted by Sarwar Chowdhury, while Selim Chowdhury delivered the welcome remarks.

Among the ABSA safety officers present at the event were Mohammad Sharif Khan, Dipa Das Tinni, Asim Sarker, Zubair Ahmed, Mohammad Jahangir Hossain, Amit De, Roma Dash, Abdul Quddus, Sheikh Abdul Rahim, Muhitur Rahman, Toma Chakraborty, Abul Hossain, Jahangir Alam, Mahbubur Rahman, Ishita Das, and Zubair Bin Abu Molla, among others.

Distinguished community guests included NYPD Lieutenant Bilal Uddin, Detective Jamil Sarwar, General Secretary of the Bangladesh American Police Association (BAPA), community leader Washi Chowdhury, Shah Badruzzaman Ruhel, General Secretary of the Bangladesh American Cultural Association, Moti Das, Vice President of the Postal Employees Union, loan officer Chiranjit Ghosh, and real estate professional Najmus Sakib Salam.

Other attendees included Police Officer Liton Sarker, Traffic Supervisor Mohammad Mohit, HRA Supervisor Sheila Moni, community leader Mohammad Masuk Mia, President of the Staten Island Democratic Society Afzal Ali Ansari, Chowdhury Momit Tanim, Habibur Rahman, and many others.

The daylong celebration began in the morning with a traditional breakfast. Later, members of the organization and guests officially inaugurated the event by releasing colorful balloons into the sky.

Following lunch, an entertaining cultural program was held, where Toma Chakraborty, a key member of ABSA’s convening committee, performed music. Throughout the day, spontaneous sports competitions were organized for women, men, and children of different age groups. In the afternoon, guests enjoyed the traditional Bengali street snack “Jhalmuri.”

The event concluded with an award ceremony honoring the winners of various sports competitions and the raffle draw. The sports prizes were jointly sponsored by Sharif Khan, Selim Chowdhury, Sarwar Chowdhury, and Zubair Ahmed.

The raffle draw featured several attractive prizes. The first prize, a 65-inch smart TV, was sponsored by loan officer Chiranjit Ghosh. The second prize, a laptop, was sponsored by loan organizer Chris Rudra, while the third prize, another laptop, was sponsored by realtor Saidur Rahman Lincoln.