2008 · Founding
Among ASAAL's founding members.
Joined the founding convening in 2008 — present at the moment a single chapter in Queens became the start of a national organization.
National President · ASAAL
Mohammed Karim
Chowdhury.
Carrying ASAAL's founding vision into a new era of growth — chapter expansion across the South and Midwest, a strengthened legislative endorsement process, and a deepening investment in the next generation of South Asian American leaders.
"Our future depends on what we build now — chapter by chapter, voter by voter, contract by contract. The next generation of South Asian American leaders is already here. Our job is to make room for them at every table."
§ President's Message
Under Mohammed Karim Chowdhury's leadership, ASAAL is investing in the next generation — expanding the Youth Committee scholarship program, deepening chapter infrastructure across the South and Midwest, and strengthening the legislative endorsement process that has already produced a generation of South Asian American officials at the City, State, and Federal levels.
§ Leadership journey
From founding member to National President.
Early years · Trustee
Service on the Board of Trustees.
Helped shape ASAAL's institutional structure and stewardship — the framework that allowed the federation to scale from one chapter to twenty.
2010s · Electoral work
Richmond County Democratic Committee.
Member of the Richmond County Democratic Committee — building electoral relationships and bringing party-level access to ASAAL's endorsement process and voter mobilization work.
2021 – 2022 · NYC Transition
Mayoral Transition Team.
Appointed to the Mayoral Transition Team — placing South Asian American voices inside the formation of a new New York City administration.
2022 · Expansion
Chapter growth in the South and Midwest.
Championed the chapter pipeline that produced Houston, Texas and the Healthcare Professionals chapters — taking ASAAL across professional and regional lines simultaneously.
Today · National President
Elected to lead the federation.
Elected by the membership as National President. Leads an Executive Council of 11, working alongside Founder & President Emeritus Maf Misbah Uddin, the 39-member Vice President corps, the Trustees, and the Women's and Youth Committees.
Looking ahead
The 2026 cycle and beyond.
Building the legislative pipeline for the 2026 elections, expanding the Youth Committee scholarship program, and deepening coalitions with CBTU, LCLAA, APALA, and the NAACP.
§ Current initiatives
What's happening under this presidency.
10scholars
2025 cohort
Expanding the Youth Committee scholarship program — recognizing high-school and college-age members at every Convention.
2new chapters
South & Midwest pipeline
Active chapter formation in regions where the South Asian American community is growing fastest.
2026
Election cycle
Strengthening ASAAL's legislative endorsement process for the 2026 mid-term elections at every level.
4coalitions
Allied federations
Deepening coalition work with CBTU, LCLAA, APALA, and the NAACP — peer constituency groups in the AFL-CIO.
31
Women's Committee
Backing the Women's Committee under Chair Adan Islam in expanding women's leadership across every chapter.
10K+ members
Membership milestone
ASAAL crosses 10,000 members nationwide under this presidency — and growing.
§ Biography
Building on the founding vision.
Mohammed Karim Chowdhury serves as the National President of the Alliance of South Asian American Labor (ASAAL). He was elected by the membership to lead the federation's day-to-day national leadership, working alongside Founder & President Emeritus Maf Misbah Uddin and an Executive Council of eleven officers. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees — a continuity of service that connects the founding generation to the leadership of today.
His path to the presidency runs through electoral organizing at the borough, city, and state levels. He is a member of the Richmond County Democratic Committee — bringing party-level relationships and electoral discipline directly into ASAAL's endorsement process. He served on the Mayoral Transition Team, placing South Asian American voices inside the formation of a New York City administration. That blend of party and movement work shapes how he leads ASAAL today.
Under his leadership, ASAAL is investing in three priorities. First, the Youth Committee — expanding the scholarship program that recognizes the next generation of South Asian American leaders, and building a real pipeline from high-school membership into civic and electoral roles. Second, chapter growth — opening new chapters in the South and Midwest, where the South Asian American population is growing fastest, while strengthening the infrastructure of existing chapters across all 12 states. Third, the legislative endorsement process — preparing for the 2026 cycle with a strengthened vetting, endorsement, and mobilization framework that builds on ASAAL's record of historic firsts.
ASAAL's electoral history forms the floor under that work. The federation helped elect Grace Meng as the first Asian Congresswoman from the East (2012); the first Bangladeshi-American State Senator from Georgia (2018); and three South Asian officials in New York City on a single ballot in 2021, including the first Bangladeshi-American Civil Court Judge. The next chapter of that record is being written now.
[Personal paragraph — community ties, family, and what the work means personally. Please replace with details you would like included.]
In coalition, the National President represents ASAAL alongside peer constituency groups within the NY State AFL-CIO — the Coalition of Black Trade Unions (CBTU), the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), and the NAACP. The independent voice the Founder set out to build in 2008 now speaks for more than 10,000 organized members; under this presidency, it is speaking louder.
§ In the work
Convention, community, coalition.
17th National Convention · keynote
Richmond County Democratic event
Mayoral Transition Team
Chapter leadership summit
With AFL-CIO leadership
Youth Committee scholars
Endorsement press conference
§ See also
The Executive Council.
The nine officers who serve alongside the National President.
Meet the President at the 19th Annual Convention.
Saturday, October 17, 2026 · DC 37, New York City. Open to ASAAL members, partners, and the broader labor movement.