17th Bangladeshi American Festival Returns to Warren City Square July 25–26, Spotlighting One of Macomb County's Largest Immigrant Communities

On July 25 and 26, Warren City Square will host the 17th Bangladeshi American Festival, placing a community central to the city's demographic change in one of Warren's most visible public spaces.

Organized by the Bangladesh Association of Michigan, the event runs from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. each day, with live music, dance, Bangladeshi food, crafts, vendors and family activities.

For Warren, this is more than a summer festival. Its 17-year run reflects a Bangladeshi American community with the organization and reach to secure the city's central civic venue for an entire weekend.

The Bangladesh Association of Michigan, a Warren-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit located at 24163 Joanne Ave., extends well beyond the festival stage. BAM coordinates mobile consular camps with the Bangladeshi Embassy, helping Warren residents access passport, visa and citizenship services, assists newly arrived Bangladeshi immigrants settling in Michigan, and hosts picnics, Iftar parties and receptions.

Mohammed Khaled serves as BAM's general secretary. Mohammed Islam is its executive vice president. For the festival, BAM negotiates event logistics with Warren Parks & Recreation.

Warren's Bangladeshi population was estimated at about 2,600 residents in 2023, or roughly 1.6% of the city's population. Statewide, Michigan is home to an estimated 20,000 to 21,000 Bangladeshi immigrants, with Warren serving as a primary hub alongside Hamtramck and Detroit.

Warren's broader demographic change is clear. The city's Asian population doubled from 2010 to 2020, with Bangladeshi and Hmong communities driving much of that growth. Asian residents accounted for 10.3% of Warren's population in 2020, or about 14,335 people.

The festival's place at City Square was not always assured. In 2022, the Bangladesh Association of Michigan claimed the mayor's office canceled the festival after receiving complaints from residents.

The following year brought another fight over permits. In 2023, the Bangladesh Association of Michigan alleged that Warren Parks and Recreation Director Dino Turcato denied their festival permit because the city would not allow an ethnic festival at Warren City Square, despite BAM having already signed a rental agreement and paid a $1,000 deposit.

Mayor Jim Fouts initially denied that ethnicity was the reason, claiming it was due to two competing groups with the same name booking the same dates, but reversed his decision after public outrage, allowing the festival to proceed on July 22–23, 2023.

The 2023 discrimination incident prompted the Warren City Council to adopt the city's first anti-discrimination ordinance in its 66-year history on July 11, 2024. Proposed by Council President Patrick Green after BAM's complaints were publicized, the ordinance prohibits discrimination on grounds including national origin, race, religion, gender identity and sexual orientation in employment, housing, public accommodations and public services, and creates formal complaint procedures and penalties for violations.

Fouts served as Warren mayor from 2007 until Nov. 20, 2023, when he was term-limited after 16 years in office. Lori Stone was sworn in that day as Warren's ninth mayor, becoming the city's first female mayor.

Under the new administration, the 15th Bangladeshi American Festival was held Aug. 3–4, 2024, and the 16th followed Aug. 2–3, 2025, both at Warren City Square. This year's festival will be the fourth consecutive year at the venue.

Beyond permit negotiations with Warren Parks & Recreation, participation by the city's Chamber of Commerce, recreation programs, school district or mainstream business districts has not been established.

The festival's trajectory — from cancellation in 2022 and initial denial in 2023 to a city anti-discrimination ordinance and four consecutive years at Warren City Square — reflects a community that has fought for space and won formal protections.

Whether the festival signals genuine integration or remains a parallel celebration — with the Bangladeshi American community organizing its own institutions, services and events largely outside mainstream Warren networks — remains an open question that will shape the city's cohesion as its demographics continue to shift.