The sudden, violent death of Sharif Rahman — owner of The Curry House restaurant and a dedicated community member — rocked people in Owen Sound, Ont., and beyond.
Just over a year later, he’s still inspiring others, including Shaan Banday, the recipient of a new academic award in Rahman’s name.
The Sharifur Rahman Memorial Scholarship was started with a gift from an anonymous donor and aims to continue Rahman’s legacy of civic engagement.
Banday, who is from Grey-Bruce and is studying mechanical engineering at the University of Waterloo, said he hopes to make an impact of his own.
“Sharif represented [that] a Muslim within the Grey-Bruce community can become a successful business owner and can contribute to the community,” Banday told CBC’s Afternoon Drive on Tuesday.
He said the scholarship award felt even more significant given the similar experiences and difficulties his family and Rahman shared in immigrating to Canada.
“Most immigrant families, we all eventually come to accept Canada as our new home, and Sharifur definitely accepted Canada as his home,” Banday said.
“The amount of love he had for his community is something that I am more than honoured to carry on through the winner of the scholarship.”
Rahman died in a London hospital a week after a dine-and-dash at his downtown restaurant involving three male patrons turned violent on the evening of Aug. 17, 2023.
An employee of Rahman’s restaurant who was also hospitalized said his boss followed the trio out after they didn’t pay and was attacked.
People in Owen Sound, which sits on Georgian Bay’s western shore, at the southern base of the Bruce Peninsula in Grey County, said Rahman loved to dish out delicious food while also giving back to Grey-Bruce. At his funeral a year ago, hundreds of people lined the streets of the city with a population of over 21,000 to pay their respects.
No details on OPP arrests
Earlier this month, Ontario Provincial Police announced arrests had been made two weeks earlier, but have not said how many people were arrested or what charges have been laid, if any.
CBC News contacted OPP for an update on Tuesday but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
OPP previously released grainy images of two men taking off on foot from the area, as well as images of a suspect vehicle.
A funeral was held in Owen Sound, Ont., for Sharif Rahman, the owner of The Curry House restaurant. Rahman died after he was beaten during what police say was a dispute over an unpaid bill.
Stuart Reid is executive director of Community Foundation Grey Bruce (CFGB), which is administrating the scholarship.
Reid said the local resident behind the anonymous donation wants the scholarshp to “celebrate academic achievement and support post-secondary education for someone whose family had ties with being either a newcomer or an immigrant.”
The foundation’s offices are a short distance from Rahman’s restaurant, now run by his wife Shayela Nasrin, and foundation staff members knew him well and were shocked by his death, Reid said.
“This [scholarship] was a beautiful way for the community to commemorate his engagement, his civic involvement, and his positivity and interest in the Grey-Bruce area and its people,” Reid said.
He feels Rahman would be thrilled about the scholarship and the opportunity to support a young resident’s career pursuits.
For his part, Banday said he plans to return to Grey-Bruce after he graduates in 2027 to contribute to the local economy, “just like Sharif did with his business.”
Afternoon Drive8:05First recipient of Sharif Rahman scholarship reflects on legacy of restauranteur
A scholarship created in honour of late Owen Sound restaurant owner Sharif Rahman has named its first recipient. Host Matt Allen is joined by Shaan Banday, an engineering student from Grey Bruce who won the scholarship, as well as Stewart Reid, the executive director of Community Foundation Grey Bruce.