Soma Syed becomes first Bangladeshi-American judge in US

Soma S. Syed, a Bangladeshi origin, has made history as the first Bangladeshi-American judge in the United States after being elected to the New York State Supreme Court. She is also the first Muslim judge from Queens.

According to her family member Burhan Chowdhury, Syed won the election with about 260,000 votes. She described her victory as a triumph for her family, community, and Bangladesh.

Born in Tangail, Bangladesh, Soma is the daughter of former magistrate Aftab Uddin Syed and a school headmistress. She lives in Queens with her husband Mizan Chowdhury, a Bangladeshi-born IT specialist, political strategist, and community activist.

Soma was first elected as a judge of the New York City Civil Court from Queens County in 2021. She is widely respected in New York’s legal and civic circles and has held several key roles, including vice president of the NYC Equal Rights Enforcement Council, board member of the NYC Right to Justice Council, and member of the Asian-American Judges Association.

She also served as the first South Asian and Muslim woman president of the Queens County Women’s Bar Association.