Sabrin Farooqui has become the first female of Bangladeshi origin to be nominated for a parliamentary seat in Australia. She received the nomination from the Australian Labour Party (ALP) for the upcoming state election, due on March 23.
She will contest a seat on the New South Wales (NSW) Legislative Council, according to an Australian news portal. The NSW Council, often referred to as the upper house, is one of the two chambers in the New South Wales state parliament in Australia.
Born and brought up in Bangladesh, Sabrin studied at the University of Dhaka before flying to Sydney as an international student in 2004. She completed her masters from the University of New South Wales, and a PhD from the Faculty of Education at the University of Sydney.
Sabrin received the “Best Research Student Award” from Sydney University for her work on assessment and pedagogy in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context. As part of her research work, she highlighted various issues and solutions for the educational system in Bangladesh.
She worked as an academic at Sydney University before joining Australian Public Service. She worked for the Australian Bureau of Statistics and Fair Work Commission. Currently, as an activist of Labour for Refugees, she advocates for an unequivocal policy for people seeking asylum and refuge. Sabrin believes that the settlement of refugees is a significant national and global issue.
As a catalyst for social change, Sabrin voluntarily works on women’s development, empowerment and domestic/family violence intervention, prevention and awareness, the news outlet said.
Her vision is to facilitate a harmonious, multicultural Australia where all immigrants can be recognised as valuable contributors to the community and the economy, and as integral part of the social fabric in Australia.
