G K Gaus Honored in New York; Expatriates Demand Direct Dhaka–New York Flights

The Jalalabad Association of America Inc. hosted a reception for Alhaj G K Gaus, a whip of the Bangladesh National Parliament and Member of Parliament for the Habiganj-3 constituency, on Saturday evening, October 10, at Nabanna Party Hall in Jackson Heights, New York.

At the reception and exchange of views, expatriate Bangladeshis called for the resumption of direct flights on the Dhaka–New York route operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines.

The event was chaired by Badrul Khan, president of the Jalalabad Association of America Inc., and moderated by Rokon Hakim, acting general secretary of the organization. G K Gaus attended as the chief guest.

Special guests included M M Shaheen, founding general secretary of the Jalalabad Association and a former member of parliament; Ataur Rahman Selim, president of Bangladesh Society; BNP Central Committee members Zillur Rahman and Gias Ahmed; and other prominent community representatives.

At the beginning of the program, the honored guest was welcomed with flowers. A citation was also read out, and an honorary crest was presented to him.

During the exchange of views, speakers highlighted various longstanding problems faced by Bangladeshis living in the United States and outlined their demands.

They said the absence of direct flights between Dhaka and New York had caused considerable inconvenience for passengers, particularly elderly people and families traveling with children. They urged the relevant authorities to take prompt steps to resume direct air services on the route.

The expatriates also called for the Dhaka–Sylhet highway to be upgraded to six lanes as soon as possible, the introduction of a quota to ensure representation of expatriate Bangladeshis in the National Parliament, simplification of the process for obtaining national identity cards and No Visa Required (NVR) endorsements, and stronger legal protections against the illegal occupation of expatriates’ land and property in Bangladesh.

In his speech, G K Gaus shared experiences from his political career and expressed gratitude to the expatriate community.

He said efforts were underway to improve the overall transport infrastructure in the Sylhet region, including roads and railways.

Describing expatriates as an important driving force of Bangladesh’s economy, he assured attendees that their demands would be raised with the relevant senior government authorities for due consideration.

A large number of expatriate Bangladeshis attended the event, along with leaders of various regional and cultural organizations representing the greater Sylhet region.