Key Highlights:
- Win Rozario, a 19-year-old Bangladeshi immigrant, lost his life on Wednesday, March 27, at the hands of the police
- On January 4, 2023, Saeed Faisal, a Bangladeshi youth, died at the hands of Massachusetts police
- Extrajudicial killings in the United States are alarmingly frequent, with 28 gun attacks resulting in 140 fatalities in the first half of 2023 alone
In a tragic event unfolding in Queens, New York, Win Rozario, a 19-year-old Bangladeshi immigrant, lost his life on Wednesday, March 27, at the hands of the police. The confrontation transpired within the confines of his family’s apartment in Ozone Park, leaving the local community deeply disturbed and prompting profound questions regarding police conduct and potential violations of human rights.
According to statements by John Cell, the police department’s chief of patrol, officers were dispatched in response to a 911 call reporting an individual in a state of mental distress. Upon arrival, they encountered Win, who purportedly wielded scissors.
Contradicting this account, Rozario’s 17-year-old brother- Ushto Rozario asserted that while their mother embraced Rozario, the officers employed a taser, which failed to incapacitate him. Consequently, one of the officers resorted to using a firearm while Rozario was still in his mother’s embrace.
The brother questioned the necessity of such force against someone armed with scissors. Chief Chell refrained from specifying the number of shots fired at Rozario, whereas his family claimed it was six. Chell noted that the entire incident was recorded by the officers’ body-worn cameras.
Francis Rozario, Win’s father, disclosed that the family had immigrated to New York from Bangladesh a decade ago. Win harbored aspirations of serving in the US military, a dream delayed by bureaucratic hurdles in obtaining their green cards, as stated by the elder Rozario in media reports, noting that the approvals had been secured the previous year.
The tragedy highlights further deeper concerns regarding police handling of mental health emergencies. Critics contend that the existing approach lacks the necessary empathy and frequently results in fatal consequences.
The Hidden Toll of Bangladeshi Deaths in America
The recent incident mirrors past fatal clashes between the New York Police Department and individuals experiencing mental health crises, like the 2018 shooting of Saheed Vassell, a 34-year-old welder diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Officers, mistaking a metal pipe for a weapon, fatally shot him.
On January 4, 2023, Saeed Faisal, a Bangladeshi youth, died at the hands of Massachusetts police. Similarly, on July 18, Yazuddin Ahmed was fatally shot at a gas station in Saint Louis, Missouri.
In 2018, Ariful Yakub Rony, 24, was shot in a Flatbush apartment. Rony died from gunshot wounds, while another Bangladeshi youth suffered stab wounds during the altercation. The recurring tragedy of Bangladeshis being killed in the US, either by police or terrorists, is sadly familiar. Despite media coverage, investigations often remain undisclosed.
In October 2015, freedom fighter Mushtaq Ahmed was killed by terrorists in Florida. Amid a series of Bangladeshi fatalities, the murders of Italian citizen Cesare Tavella and Japanese citizen Kunio Hoshi prompted US Embassy activity. However, US Ambassador Bernicutt’s involvement seemed to diminish.
These cases highlight serious concerns about human rights violations, each representing a direct infringement upon the right to life.
Human Rights Violations: America’s Blind Spot in the Biden Era
Extrajudicial killings in the United States are alarmingly frequent, with 28 gun attacks resulting in 140 fatalities in the first half of 2023 alone, as per a collaborative research effort by AP, USA Today, and Boston’s Northeastern University. Weekly, there’s a gun-related assault reported nationwide.
Grim statistics from previous years reveal 224 extrajudicial killings in 2017, 211 in 2019, 610 in 2020, 692 in 2021, and 648 in 2022.
Extrajudicial Killings in the US in the first half of 2023
Gun Attacks: 28 incidents
Fatalities: 140
Despite these figures, there’s a glaring absence of governmental or judicial action, with no reported cases or trials. This lack of accountability prompts criticism, especially when compared to the administration’s focus on human rights abroad, such as in Bangladesh.
While the Biden administration prioritizes issues like electoral processes and human rights abroad, it neglects pressing concerns of law and order within its borders. This negligence is highlighted by instances of individuals from countries like Bangladesh falling victim to extrajudicial killings in the US, with at least 3 cases occurring within 6 months.
| Year | Extrajudicial Killings |
| 2017 | 224 |
| 2019 | 211 |
| 2020 | 610 |
| 2021 | 692 |
| 2022 | 648 |
Will Nationwide Protests Push US to Rethink Relations with Bangladesh?
Following the tragic shooting death of Rozario, on March 28 and 29, the Bangladeshi community in New York City is mobilizing two events. This echoes the nationwide protests sparked by the killing of Saeed Faisal in January 2023, which drew participation from Bangladeshis in both Bangladesh and the United States, supported by the Foreign Office of Bangladesh.
Media coverage and public discourse on these events had commenced and then suddenly, on May 24, the United States Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anthony J. Blinken, unveiled a new visa policy. The primary goal was to quell the protests originating both on the streets and across social media platforms regarding the killings of Bangladeshi individuals in different instances.
Additionally, on December 10, 2021, International Human Rights Day, the United States Treasury Department, alongside the State Department, imposed sanctions on 7 former and current officers of Bangladesh’s law enforcement agency, RAB, citing allegations of human rights abuses. The imposition of such sanctions based on a unilateral interpretation of human rights violations is a rare occurrence.
Win Rozario’s tragic death, adds to a distressing pattern of fatal encounters between law enforcement and Bangladeshi individuals, echoing similar tragedies involving Bangladeshi victims in recent years. Despite the outcry and efforts for change, there remains a glaring blind spot in America’s approach to addressing extrajudicial killings and upholding human rights within its borders.
The recurring incidents of Bangladeshi citizens being fatally targeted in the US coupled with superficial expressions of sympathy from the US ambassador to Bangladesh towards the victims’ families, raise significant concerns. This prompts questions regarding the duration of Bangladesh’s endurance as a victim of US vested interests.
