political profi les District 18
BY MOHAMMED MUJUMDER
Why are you running?
As a City Council member,
I want to bridge socioeconomic
gaps. I want to provide
a level playing fi eld for all. I
understand and recognize the
struggles of being a minority;
of facing discrimination; of
having certain socioeconomic
barriers already built against
you. I want to bring new job
opportunities to Bronxites,
advocate for housing; bring
better quality education and
be the voice for the voiceless.
I want to bring my own experience
to the table to bring about
change. But I do not just want
to talk. I want to ACT! Please
visit our page mujumdernyc.
com to learn more.
Tell us about yourself,
what you do for a living,
your relationship to the district,
and which neighborhood
you live in?
My name is Mohammed N
Mujumder. I have been a resident
of District 18 of the Bronx
since 1990. As a new immigrant
in the U.S., I moved to
the Parkchester area, with
my wife and infant daughter.
I hold a LLM degree from
Touro Law School. I have
managed a mid-size law fi rm
for over twenty years and run
a few small businesses. The
Bronx is where I embarked
on the “American Dream”. I
raised my children here and
sent them to our schools. My
daughter is an immigration
attorney and my son a soonto
be law school graduate. I
am grateful for all the wonderful
opportunities and now it
is my turn to give back to the
Bronx!!
What are the biggest challenges
facing the district and
how will you solve them?
We have a high rate of unemployment,
suffer from poor
health, and have a shortage of
affordable housing. I am an
advocate of affordable housing.
I believe we have the
funds available; we simply
need to have them reallocate
and make better use of those
funds. I also plan on creating
funding for after school programs;
daycare; and/or recreational
centers for kids which
would help parents to be able
to go to work. I would like to
expand tutoring programs,
vocational training, job skill
training for adults and youth
and provide equal access to education
BRONX TIMES R 38 EPORTER, APRIL 2-8, 2021 BTR
by making sure barriers
such as language, mental
health, etcetera are being addressed.
What will you do differently
than the incumbent?
Bronxites often feel neglected
by other residents of
NYC. The Bronx is known to
be “bad and dangerous”. Most
Bronxites take this personally
and would agree that our borough
and particularly District
18 is not as bad as the reputation
it has amongst the other
boroughs. We need to highlight
our borough and residents.
I will encourage political
involvement so that the
Bronx’s voice is heard by holding
frequent open meetings
where residents can come and
discuss issues we face and propose
ideas. I promise to bring
the voice of District 18 to City
Council!
What is your political
experience?
I have served as a Board
member in Community Board
9 since 2010. Moreover, I
have served twice as Interim
Chairman and once as First
Vice Chairman. I also served
as Chairman of the Land Use
and Zoning Committee. I privately
fund and run a new
immigrant welcome center
where I help new immigrants
navigate government benefi ts,
seek employment, fi nd housing
and pursue higher education.
I assist with completing
Section 8 housing applications
every Saturday. As the
President of the Bangladeshi
American Community Council
(BACC), I have hosted several
Interfaith Iftars within
the community, and served
as a liaison for constituents
to connect with law enforcement.
What endorsements do you
have?
Bodega & Small Business
Group, Bronx Bangladesh Society
of New York, Bronx Bangladesh
Women’s Association,
Rongdhuno Society of Bronx,
USA Inc., Bronx Bangladesh
Association, and Redoy Bangladesh.
Courtesy of Mohammed Mujumder
BY WILLIAM RIVERA
Why are you running?
Given the current state of
the city, I believe that we need
representation – at all levels of
government – that know exactly
who their constituents are and
how to best advocate for their
collective interests.
In both personal and professional
capacities, I’ve scoured
every square block of the 18th,
developing a keen understanding
of what the people and businesses
are looking for in representation
at City Hall.
Tell us about yourself,
what you do for a living, your
relationship to the district,
and which neighborhood you
live in?
I live in the Parkchester
area of the Bronx and work as
the District Manager for Bronx
Community Board 9. I’ve lived
in the same neighborhood my
whole life, so I have a close relationship
to the people in our district.
As the District Manager, I
distribute food to the residents
in our district, successfully
got funding for many projects,
founded the Cross Bronx Expressway
Initiative and assisted
in many other benefi ts
those in our community.
What are the biggest challenges
facing the district and
how will you solve them?
The biggest challenges facing
my district center around
unemployment, housing, quality
of life issues, small business
and economic development. My
intentions are to leverage my
institutional knowledge of the
district, enhanced by my direct
experience in serving the community
to be a fi rm and transparent
advocate in City Hall in
terms of bringing funding and
being a voice for these challenges.
What will you do differently
than the incumbent?
I think it was challenging
for the incumbent given his
contentious relationship with
Council leadership. I’ll be approaching
this in a far more
conciliatory way and intend
on cultivating relationships to
enhance my position to better
able me to bring resources back
to the district.
What’s your political experience?
I am currently the District
Manager for 6 years. I served
as the Chairman of Bronx Community
Board 9, State Committeeman
& District Leader of the
87th Assembly District. Prior I
worked for the New York City
Fire Department for 12 years.
What endorsements do
you have?
Pending.
Mohammed Mujumder
William Rivera
Call
718.260.2555
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Courtesy of William Rivera