A street in the US city of Hamtramck, located in the state of Michigan, has been renamed in honour of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who passed away recently. The decision to rename Carpenter Street as Khaleda Zia Street is more than a symbolic gesture; it reflects the growing political and cultural influence of Bangladeshi immigrants in a city that has made history as the first Muslim-majority municipality in the United States.
According to reports by Bangladeshi daily Desh Rupantor, the Hamtramck City Council approved the proposal to rename the stretch of road between Joseph Campau Avenue and Conant Street after Khaleda Zia. The move was strongly supported by council members of Bangladeshi origin, four of whom currently serve on the city council. Their collective efforts played a key role in securing approval for the renaming, highlighting the extent to which immigrant communities now shape local governance in the city.
Khaleda Zia, who served three terms as Bangladesh’s prime minister, died on December 30 at a hospital in Dhaka after a prolonged illness. She was 80 years old. Her legacy already had a presence in the United States, as a road in Chicago had earlier been named after her late husband, former Bangladeshi President Ziaur Rahman. The naming of a street after Khaleda Zia in Hamtramck further cements the symbolic ties between Bangladeshi political history and the Bangladeshi-American diaspora.
Hamtramck’s significance lies not only in the renaming of the street but also in its unique demographic and political evolution. The city is the first in the United States to have a Muslim-majority population and, as of 2022, the first to be governed by an all-Muslim city council. It officially became Muslim-majority in 2013, followed by a Muslim-majority governing council in 2015, marking a profound transformation in its civic identity.
Located in Wayne County, Hamtramck is a small but densely populated enclave entirely surrounded by Detroit, at the heart of America’s Rust Belt. According to the 2020 Census, the city has a population of 28,433, making it the most densely populated municipality in Michigan. The city is named after Jean François Hamtramck, a French-Canadian military officer who commanded Fort Shelby during the War of 1812. In its early years, Hamtramck was a rural township with strong German-American farming roots.
The city’s character changed dramatically in 1914 with the opening of a Dodge automobile factory, which attracted thousands of workers and transformed Hamtramck into an industrial hub. Incorporated as a city in 1922 to avoid annexation by Detroit, it became home to a large Polish immigrant population throughout the 20th century. For decades, Hamtramck was known as “Little Warsaw,” and it continues to celebrate its Polish heritage through events such as Paczki Day, named after a traditional Polish pastry.
Hamtramck’s transition into a Muslim-majority city began in the late 20th century, as Detroit’s industrial decline led to population loss and suburban migration among long-established residents. As the Polish-American population gradually decreased, new waves of immigrants began arriving, particularly from Yemen and Bangladesh. Drawn by affordable housing, job opportunities, and established ethnic networks, these communities steadily reshaped the city’s demographic profile.
By the 2000 Census, Hamtramck’s population had dropped to just over 22,000, though Polish ancestry still accounted for roughly 23 percent of residents. Immigration accelerated in the following decade, and by the 2010 Census, foreign-born residents made up around 41 percent of the population. Arab ancestry, largely Yemeni, stood at about 24 percent, while Asian ancestry, primarily Bangladeshi, ranged between 15 and 20 percent. Polish ancestry had fallen to about 14.5 percent.
The most dramatic change occurred after 2010. The 2020 Census recorded a population increase of 27 percent, driven almost entirely by immigrant communities. According to the Detroit Free Press, Hamtramck now has the highest percentage of immigrants in Michigan, the largest Bangladeshi population in the state, and the second-highest proportion of Arab residents after Dearborn. Today, more than 40 percent of Hamtramck’s residents are foreign-born, and nearly 70 percent of the population, including the mayor, police chief, and all city councillors, are Muslim.
These demographic shifts have significantly altered Hamtramck’s political and cultural landscape. The election of an all-Muslim city council and a Muslim mayor, Amer Ghalib, attracted global attention and controversy. Right-wing commentators warned of Islamic law replacing the US Constitution, while social media amplified fears and misinformation. At the same time, the city has experienced internal debates over issues such as public calls to prayer, human rights ordinances, and religious practices like halal animal slaughter.
Cultural transformation is also visible in the city’s commercial life. Long-standing Polish businesses have been replaced by Yemeni and Bangladeshi establishments, with family-run donut shops turning into Middle Eastern bakeries and Polish restaurants reopening as Bengali cafés. Yet despite political tensions and national scrutiny, daily life in Hamtramck remains defined by close coexistence among diverse communities.
Residents share schools, streets, and workplaces in a compact urban space where differences often require negotiation rather than separation. Former mayor Karen Majewski has noted that living in such close quarters forces people to adapt and coexist, while local historian Greg Kowalski has pointed out that children from different backgrounds often form the strongest bridges between communities.
Against this backdrop, the decision to rename a street after Khaleda Zia may provoke debate, but it also fits within Hamtramck’s long tradition of immigrants reshaping public space. As Kowalski observed, earlier generations of Polish immigrants also renamed streets and landmarks, facing similar criticism at the time. In that sense, Khaleda Zia Street stands as another chapter in the city’s evolving identity, shaped by successive waves of newcomers who have made Hamtramck their home.
