The mournful notes of taps echoed through rainy Bronx neighborhood Thursday afternoon as six New York Police Department officers shouldered the casket of one of their own: Officer Didarul Islam.
They carried Islam’s remains out of a mosque where his funeral was held, and into the street where thousands of officers stood in silent salute. He was one of four people killed in a mass shooting in Midtown Manhattan on Monday.
As if signaled by the song, the trickle of rain began to fall in thick sheets over the funeral procession, soaking the green, blue and white NYPD flag draped over Islam’s casket.
The somber scene, shown here in pictures and video, took place in Islam’s own neighborhood at the Parkchester Jame Masjid.
A sea of uniformed officers from the NYPD and other law enforcement agencies stood for blocks under the pelting rain, as if cast in stone.
The 36-year-old father of two was preparing to welcome a third child with his pregnant wife and he was his parents’ only child. His death has reverberated through his tightly-knit Bangladeshi community in Parkchester.
Loved ones, Muslim community members and some of New York’s most prominent leaders mourned Islam on Thursday as a dedicated father and hardworking guardian of his fellow New Yorkers.
Islam was fatally shot by an armed 27-year-old man in the lobby of a glossy skyscraper at 345 Park Avenue on Monday. The officer was off-duty at the time but was working security in the building.
During the funeral service, NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced Islam had been posthumously promoted to detective first grade. Before continuing her remarks, Tisch knelt in front of Islam’s wife, and the pair embraced.
“Everything for him was about building something for his family, for his mosque, for his adopted city and for his relatives back in Bangladesh. They were all in his care, and he found peace in watching them grow,” Tisch said.
Islam joined the NYPD as a school safety agent in 2019 and became an officer two years later, Tisch said.
“In his own words, the police were a blanket of the community there to provide comfort and care,” the police chief added.
NYPD Deputy Inspector Muhammad Ashraf, commanding officer of the 47th precinct, said Islam’s dedication to his job was an extension of his love of his community.
“Islam was not just a cop,” Ashraf said. “He was a son of this city and another land, a proud immigrant from Bangladesh who came to this country full of hope and who chose to serve the city with honor.”
For Foysol Ahmed, a community leader in Parkchester, the slain officer brought pride to his community through humble service. When one of their own is represented in agencies like the NYPD or the New York City Fire Department, he said, it’s something to be celebrated.
“We feel proud,” he told CNN earlier this week.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul described the pain of Islam’s death as “searing” and urged the Bangladeshi community to lean on other fellow New Yorkers. Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani sat with Islam’s family and remained inside the mosque for prayers, his campaign confirmed.
Islam’s brother-in-law, NYPD officer Kamrul Hasan, spoke on behalf of the family and remembered Islam as his best friend and “protector.”
“Islam was a proud father. He was an uncle. He was a brother, and he was a dependable person,” Hasan said. “He was a good leader. Anything anybody needed, anything, he came.”
Hasan said he and Islam joined the police force within one year of each other, and the pair leaned on each other for support, often unable to bring the weight of their work home to their families.
Islam was a person officers would want by their side in times of crisis, Ashraf said.
“One of his fellow officers described him as someone that brought calmness to any chaotic scenes, as someone that showed up with a smile on his face. He was humble, steady and reliable,” the commander said.
Ashraf said the loss is “a sorrow that no words can truly heal,” adding, “But it is also a moment to honor a life of courage, devotion and purpose.”
He reminded mourners: “In the Muslim faith, we firmly believe … indeed, to Allah we belong, and indeed to him we will return.”
CNN’s Mark Morales, Gloria Pazmino and Dakin Andone contributed to this report.
