By Dustin Brown
A Queens jury convicted seven men of brutally assaulting two others outside an Astoria club on Bangladeshi Independence Day in February 2001, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.
Three men from Astoria, Woodside and Jackson Heights were found guilty of gang assault last Thursday along with four Bronx residents by a jury of six men and six women, who deliberated 4 1/2 days before delivering their verdict to Supreme Court Justice Arthur Cooperman, the DA said.
“The defendants committed a vicious crime by attacking two helpless and defenseless men and repeatedly punched, kicked and stabbed them, causing disfigurement and permanent scarring,” Brown said in a statement. “The conviction ensures that justice has been done for the victims who sustained serious physical injuries in the attack.”
Farhad Meah, 20, of 35-24 95th St. in Jackson Heights; Joynul Islam, 18, of 32-30 Steinway St. in Astoria; and Suhal Uddin, 20, of 64-02 35th Ave. in Woodside were all found guilty of gang assault, assault and criminal possession of a weapon, Brown said.
Also convicted on the gang assault charge were Nashir Ahmed, 21, Sakib Chowdhury, 21, Basudeb Chakrabarty, 20, and Balal Ahmr, 26, all of the Bronx, the DA said.
An eighth man, Mohammed Sayed, 24, of Astoria was acquitted of all charges.
The attack, carried out by a group of Bangladeshis against two men also of Bangladeshi heritage, occurred almost two years ago on their country's independence day – Feb. 21, 2001 – outside the Kasturi Country Club on 36th Street in Astoria, Brown said.
The defendants instigated a fight with a 22-year-old man outside the club, repeatedly punching, kicking and stabbing him until he was left with a broken nose, stab wound and bruising about his head and body, the DA said.
When the victim's 24-year-old friend tried to intervene by pulling him away from the gang, he became the focus of the assault, suffering an onslaught of punches, kicks, stabs and the slashing of his face, Brown said.
The attackers then sped from the scene in a Ford Explorer, which was soon pulled over by Sgt. Keith Smith of the 114th Precinct Anti-Crime Team, who recovered two box cutters and a knife from the vehicle. An eyewitness later identified the men within 20 minutes of the attack, Brown said.
Reach reporter Dustin Brown by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 154.
