When the video of a Bangladeshi-American officer Syed Ali jumping to the rescue of a woman being harassed by five drunken men went viral last month, it was a proud moment for the NYPD’s Bangladeshi American Police Association.

But for many of its members, the praise being lavished upon one of their own was in some ways also a vindication of their decision to join a police force that hasn’t always enjoyed a positive rapport with immigrant communities in the city.

Now, as the Bangladeshi community has seen an extraordinary growth in the city, so have the numbers of Bangladeshi-Americans joining the New York Police department.

Sergeant Tarakur Chowdhury, one of the two vice-presidents of the association or BAPA, recalls the days when his parents were opposed to him joining the NYPD.

“As you know, back home parents prefer their children to become doctors and engineers. Being in the police is not considered a noble profession by many,” he says.

But in the past few years, he says, the community seems to have overcome those taboos.

Sgt Chowdhury recalls that in 2004, he barely knew of any other Bangladesh-born police officer. Now, the numbers have swelled and it’s most evident in the growing numbers of BAPA, an organisation that was formed in 2015 in the month of January.

From just about eight founding members four years ago, BAPA now has close to 1000 members that includes a majority of law enforcement members as well as those working for the NYPD in civilian capacity.

Bangladeshi-American police officers patrolling the streets is now a common sight in New York city and that has helped bridge the gap between a growing Bangladeshi population and law enforcement.

“We often collaborate with community members and youth, on how to interact with police,” says Lt Sujat Khan, who is currently the president of BAPA.

“We also tell them how they can contribute to this city by reporting suspicious activities, crimes, and quality of life issues in their respective communities,” he adds.

This helps the NYPD to police areas like Queens, Bronx and Brooklyn that has a sizeable Bangladeshi population. In fact, according to a recent Pew Research Center report New York is home to the largest population of Bangladeshis in the United States.

“When the community members know that they can communicate with an officer in their own language, they feel far more confident. And this really helps us in apprehending perpetrators,” says Mr Chowdhury.

Presence of Bangladeshi officers in the force, and recent examples like that of Khandakar Abdullah, who became the first officer of Bangladeshi descent to be promoted to Captain, is further encouraging youngsters to join the ranks.

“We now see a lot of youth from the community coming forward to join the various programs run by the NYPD,” says Mr Chowdhury.

BAPA members have also shown “remarkable and exceptional” fraternity and come together at the time of another member’s need.

“We must work together and help each other for advancement,” says Lt Sujat Khan.