[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9390]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      A TRIBUTE TO MR. MISBA ABDIN

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 19, 2012

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Mr. Misba 
Abdin.
  A second-generation Bangladeshi-American, Misba Abdin came to the 
United States in 1982. He was born in 1969 in Beani Bazar of the Sylhet 
District in Bangladesh. His family led the way for others who migrated 
to the United States of America very early from the Sylhet region. 
Currently a businessman by profession, he is the product of the New 
York City Public School system where he went from P.S. 214K to M.S./
I.S. 171 and graduated from Frank K. Lane High School. He went on to 
study Business Management at Hunter College of the City University of 
New York. He is well read and can tell you the history of almost any 
book that has been on the best seller list over the last 20 years.
  In 1984, Mr. Abdin, along with his three brothers and five cousins, 
and the support of the people of the neighborhood, started the first 
soccer tournament in Ozone Park, Queens, for Bangladeshi youth. The 
tournament became very popular as it was the first in the Bengali 
community and, was an example followed by Bangladeshi youth living in 
the other cities. In the early 1990s Mr. Abdin spearheaded the 
formation of the Bangladesh Football Federation, mainly with the view 
to provide the Bengali Community in New York with an opportunity to 
gather and celebrate through soccer games. Following the success of 
this organization, many Bangladeshi-American socio-cultural 
organizations were later formed by others. The Bangladesh Football 
Federation was renamed as Bangladesh Sports Council in 2001. And, in 
2005, Mr. Abdin was appointed General Secretary of the Sports Council, 
a position he still holds today.
  As a Pioneer Community Activist in the Bengali Community, Mr. Abdin's 
main focus is developing Bangladeshi youth and sports through his 
organizing skills and vibrant youth programs. As President and CEO of 
the Bangladeshi American Community Development and Youth Sports, 
BACDYS, his main objective is to focus exclusively on low income 
housing, education, youth programs and family entertainment. He is a 
Board member of the Highland Park Local Development Corp., the 75th 
Precinct Community Council and a member of the program committee of the 
North Brooklyn YMCA, to name a few.
  Mr. Abdin is a product of a retail family. His father was a 
successful retail businessman and growing up he worked in his father's 
store after school and on weekends. After spending a couple of years in 
Bangladesh he returned to the United States to manage the family Key 
Food Supermarket, which to this day, he still manages.
  Mr. Abdin is married to Farida Yeasmin, and they are blessed with two 
daughters and two sons. He attends the Al-Aman Mosque that was founded 
by his father, Abdul Sattar, on Forbell Street in Brooklyn.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleges to join me in recognizing the 
important achievements and dedication to community of Mr. Misba Abdin.

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