[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 89 (Thursday, June 20, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E932-E933]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IN RECOGNITION OF THE OUTSTANDING COMMITMENT OF DR. NAZMUL HASSAN TO 
 THE BANGLADESHI-AMERICAN COMMUNITY IN MICHIGAN AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. GARY C. PETERS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 20, 2013

  Mr. PETERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my 
longtime friend, Dr. Nazmul Hassan, as he is recognized by the 
Bangladeshi-American community in Michigan for his many years of 
stalwart guidance and leadership. Known to friends as Shahin, Dr. 
Hassan has been a strong voice for Bangladeshi-Americans, not just in 
Michigan, but across the United States of America. As an immigrant to 
our nation, Shahin is emblematic of one of the greatest strengths of 
our nation, our ability to bring the best and brightest from across the 
world.
  Before coming to Michigan, Shahin was a leader in his birth country 
of Bangladesh. His commitment to service is an ideal he learned at a 
young age, from watching his father, who was an educator and prominent 
elected leader in Bangladesh having served as a Member of Parliament 
for four terms. The value of service to the community is one that 
Shahin brought with him when he arrived in the United States as a 
student in 1991. Shahin later went on to earn a Masters of Science in 
Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering in 1996, and in 2011, he 
completed his Doctorate in Industrial Engineering from Wayne State 
University. In his professional work, he worked for both Delphi 
Automotive and Ford Motor Company.
  While his educational and professional pursuits are impressive, 
nowhere has his passion been felt more greatly than in his tireless 
advocacy for the Bangladeshi-American population. In his tenure as the 
President and Chairman of the Michigan Bangladeshi American Democratic 
Caucus (BADC), Shahin has

[[Page E933]]

worked within his community to organize its members and raise issues of 
importance to them in the public arena. His work has included assisting 
community members with a wide range of issues, from immigration to 
helping families in need obtain basic necessities. He has been a source 
of information for his community on pressing policy issues such as 
human rights, foreign affairs and health care. In particular, during 
the debate on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act he 
organized discussions within the Bangladeshi community to raise 
awareness of health care issues.
  In my time representing Michigan in the United States Congress, I 
have been fortunate to call Shahin a valued friend and trusted advisor. 
Thanks to his leadership, I have developed close relationships with 
Bangladeshi constituents and am honored to serve as a leader of the 
Bangladeshi Congressional Caucus in Washington, D.C. Shahin's passion 
for his community and his support of cross-cultural dialogue, both in 
Michigan and across the country, have earned him numerous accolades, 
including the 2011 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Freedom Award from 
the Michigan Democratic Party.
  Mr. Speaker, our unparalleled ability to attract the best and the 
brightest from around the world and bring them to our country, where 
they make significant contributions to our future, is one of our 
nation's greatest strengths. Dr. Nazmul Hassan's life is an embodiment 
of the American Dream and for his work, our nation is a better place. I 
am grateful to both Shahin and his family for the many experiences they 
have shared with me and I wish Dr. Hassan well as he continues to 
represent the interests of Bangladeshi-Americans in his new endeavors.

                          ____________________