British Bangladeshi
Total population
2001 Census (UK): 283,063[1] 0.5% of the UK's population 2005 (England): 324,300[2] 0.6% of England total population 2008 (UK): 500,000[3] 0.8% of the UK's population
Regions with significant populations
Resident population estimates (Office for National Statistics - 2006)[4]
London 170,500 ~ Tower Hamlets 63,500 ~ Newham 22,800 ~ Camden 12,700 Birmingham 23,200 Oldham 11,000 Luton 8,300 Bradford 5,700
Languages
Sylheti (Bengali dialects) Bengali and English also spoken widely as second languages
Religion
Islam, predominantly Sunni Mainly of Hanafi teachings, Barelwi and Salafi

British Bangladeshi (Bengali: ব্রিটিশ বাংলাদেশি) is a term used to describe the Bangladeshi people or community living in the United Kingdom, also referred as 'Bangladeshis in the United Kingdom' or 'Brit-Bengalis'.^{citation needed} They are British citizens who have emigrated from Bangladesh to the United Kingdom or British-born people of Bangladeshi descent. According to Dr David Garbin, Bangladeshis "experience disproportionately high rates of unemployment, overcrowding, and certain types of health problems."^[1] On the other hand the community is said to be "thriving in the capital with third generation Bangladeshis on their way to establishing themselves in the mainstream of London commerce and politics".^[5]

They primarily live in London, mainly in the East London boroughs, of which the borough of Tower Hamlets has the highest percentage of Bangladeshis with about 33% of the borough's total population.^[6] This large diaspora in London is so significant that people in Bangladesh itself refer to British Bangladeshis as "Londoni" rather than "British".^[7] They are also found living in towns and cities such as, Birmingham, Oldham, Luton and Bradford, with smaller clusters based in Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Cardiff, and Sunderland. Majority of these people came from the Bangladeshi region of Sylhet (over 90%) during and after the 1960s.^[5]

Bangladeshis form one of the UK's largest immigrant communities. The population of Bangladeshis living in Britain is steadily growing over the years, the national census of ethnicity and identity found over 283,000 people had Bangladeshi heritage in Britain as of 2001.^[8] The Office for National Statistics estimated the number of Bangladeshis at 325,000 in 2005,^[2] and estimates today that 500,000 Bangladeshi people are living in the UK.^[3]

History

One of the earliest Bengali immigrants to Britain was Sake Dean Mahomet, a captain of the British East India Company. In 1810, he founded London's first Indian restaurant, the Hindoostane Coffee House. He is also reputed for introducing shampoo and therapeutic massage in Britain.^[9]

Causes of immigration

The reasons why Bangladeshis immigrated to the United Kingdom include the need to find work, earn a better living and to escape conflict. Large numbers of Bangladeshi men emigrated to London to search for employment during the 1950s and 1960s. Bangladesh has witnessed a series of political upheavals, starting with the end of British India in 1947 when countries were divided by religious terms. The majority of these people settled in Tower Hamlets, particularly around Spitalfields and Brick Lane.^[5] Many of them came from the Sylhet region - which is located in the north-east of Bangladesh.

In the 1970s, changes in immigration laws encouraged a wave of Bangladeshis to come to the UK and settle. Job opportunities were initially limited to low paid sectors, with unskilled jobs in small factories and the textile trade being especially common. But when the 'Indian' restaurant business developed, some Sylhetis started to open cafes as businesses. From these small beginnings and developments, a network of Bangladeshi restaurants, shops and banks became established in Brick Lane and the surrounding areas. The influence of Bangladeshi culture and diversity can be seen across London in boroughs such as Tower Hamlets, Newham, Camden and Southwark^[5]

1971 Bangladesh Liberation War

Main article: Bangladesh Liberation War

During 1971 East Pakistan (known today as Bangladesh) went to war against West Pakistan (Pakistan) for independence, in what was known as the Bangladesh Liberation War. The Pakistani infantry then started occupy the Sylhet region where many Bangladeshis come from; this led some people to join the Mukti Bahini in their defense and a battle against the Pakistanis. For example, Muhammad Ataul Gani Osmani a Sylheti, who was in command of the Teliapara Tea Estate in Sylhet, who then became the commander-in-chief of the Bangladesh Armed Forces in April 1971, was one of many who were part of the success of the war.^[10] He died in 1984 in London where he spent his time diagnosed with cancer, living with his family in the UK.^[11] However, even though there were many heroic efforts by Sylhetis during the war, this also led large numbers of Sylhetis to flee, arriving in the UK during the 1970s.

First settlers

'Brick Lane' street sign in English and Bengali.

Bangladeshis first started arriving in the UK in large numbers in the 1970s and mostly settled in and around the Brick Lane area of East London. However, some Bengalis had been present in the country as early as the 1920s. Author Caroline Adams records one instance in 1925 when a lost Bengali searching for other Bengali settlers in London was told by a policeman: 'you better go on until you smell curry'.^[12] At this time, there were many more Jewish people in London than there were Bengalis. Some of these were Sylhetis who came to Britain by sea after working as lascars on ships.^[12][13]

Bangladeshis who came to the UK anticipated the country would provide them with great opportunities. However, there were various problems experienced by many of these immigrants. They lived and worked in cramped basements and attics in Tower Hamlets. Centuries earlier, these same properties had housed Huguenot immigrants who weaved silk and worked for very long hours in badly heated and poorly lit workshops. The Bengalis found they could not interact with the English-speaking population, and therefore could not enter higher education.^[14][13] There has been a decline in business throughout East London, which has led to unemployment among Bangladeshi workers. The garment manufacturing industry was part of this decline. The Bangladeshis instead became cooks, waiters and mechanics, but their progress up the social and economic ladder was a slow one. The men were often illiterate, poorly educated, and spoke little English. They became easy targets for some of their ruthless compatriots who seized control of their housing in Whitechapel in the 1970s and sold the properties onto other Sylhetis, many of who had no legal claim to the buildings.^[13][15]

Brick Lane Jamme Masjid.

By 1970, Brick Lane, and many of the streets around it, had become predominantly Bengali. The Jewish bakeries were turned into curry houses, the jewellery shops were turned into sari stores, and the synagogues into dress factories. In 1976, the synagogue at the corner of Fournier Street and Brick Lane became the Jamme Masjid (community mosque).^[13] The building that now houses the Jamme Masjid represents the history of successive communities of immigrants in this part of London. In 1743, this same building had been built as a French Protestant Church. In 1819, it became a Methodist Chapel, and then in 1898, it was used by Jewish people as the Spitalfields Great Synagogue.^[16] Following the increase in the number of Bengalis in the area, the Jews migrated to outlying suburbs of London, as they integrated with the majority British population. They sold off the synagogue, which then became the Jamme Masjid or 'Great London Mosque', which continues to serve the Bangladeshi community to this day.^[17][15] A film released in 2007, named after the street of Brick Lane itself, is based on a novel by author Monica Ali.^{[18][19][20][21]}

Further information: Brick Lane, Brick Lane (film), and Monica Ali

Racial violence

In the 1970s, there was a large rise in the number of attacks on Bangladeshis. Racial tensions in the area had been simmering for 40 years, since Oswald Mosley incited attacks on the older Jewish communities in the 1930s. White power skinhead gangs began to roam the Brick Lane area, where they vandalised property and spat at Bengali children. In Bethnal Green, National Front members handed out leaflets on the streets and assembled people at a pub in Cheshire Street. Bengali children were allowed out of school early, with their mothers walking to work in groups to shield them from potential violence. Parents began to start imposing curfews on their children for their own safety. Later, the Tower Hamlets council fitted their flats with fire-proof letterboxes to protect Bangladeshi tenants from racially motivated arson.^[13]

The protest march by Bangladeshis to Downing Street with murdered Altab Ali's coffin, 1978.

Residents began to fight back by creating committees and youth groups such as the Bangladesh Youth Movement, which was formed by young activists led by Shajahan Lutfur. One 4 May 1978, Altab Ali, a Sylheti factory worker in his mid 20s, was murdered by three white men in a racist attack, as he walked home from work. The murder took place near the corner of Adler Street and Whitechapel Road by St Mary's Churchyard. The killers left a message on a nearby wall that said, "We’re back".^{[22][13][23][15]} This then led to over 7,000 Bangladeshis including others to take part in a demonstration against racist violence and marched behind Altab Ali’s coffin to Number 10 Downing Street. Then on September 1978, the National Front moved its headquarters from Teddington in West London to Great Eastern Street, a few minutes' walk from Brick Lane. The name Altab Ali became associated with a movement of resistance against racist attacks, and remains linked with this struggle for human rights to this day. His murder was the trigger for the first significant political organisation against racism by local Bangladeshis. Today’s phenomenal identification and association of British Bangladeshis with Tower Hamlets still owes much to this campaign.^[22] A park on Whitechapel Road is named after Altab Ali. The park is the main destination for demonstrations for the local people as of today. At the entrance to the park there is an arch created by David Peterson, developed as a memorial to Altab Ali and other victims of racist attacks. The arch incorporates a complex Bengali-style pattern, meant to show the merging of different cultures in East London.^[22][13][24] A few racial violence started occur in 1993 by the BNP where a few Bangladeshi students were severely injured, however the racist party stopped it's paper proceedings after demonstrations.^[25][13]

Official recognition

In April 2001, Tower Hamlets council officially renamed the 'Spitalfields' electoral ward 'Spitalfields and Banglatown'. Surrounding streets were redecorated, with lamp posts painted in green and red, the colours of the Bangladeshi flag.^[7] By that stage, the majority of the people living in the ward (about 68 per cent of the total) were of Bangladeshi origin.^[14]

Culture

Heritage

Bangladeshis living in the UK come from the villages and towns of the Sylhet region.

A majority of 95% of Bangladeshis living in the United Kingdom, originate from Sylhet, which is a division and city located in the north-east of Bangladesh.^[26][27] The people come from the Sylhet District, the villages or towns of Habiganj, Maulavi Bazar and Sunamganj - where many have traces in the upazila of Jagannathpur.^[28] The city is one of the richest towns in Bangladesh, where thousands of people from Britain are investing and building luxury homes. Sylheti people are sometimes considered as a distinct ethnic group within Bangladesh and the city of Sylhet is famous for being the resting place of the Muslim Saint Hazrat Shah Jalal.^[5] The remaining Bangladeshis mainly come from the districts of Noakhali, Chittagong, Dhaka and other regions across Bangladesh.^[1]

In some communities in the UK, there has been rivalry between Bangladeshis who come from the rural area of Sylhet and those who hail from urban areas like Dhaka and Chittagong. Sylhetis are often stereotyped by others, they are described as wanting to only marry within the Sylheti community and not to marry 'Dhakayas'. 'Dhakaya' is a term used by many Sylhetis when referring to non-Sylhetis, this shows the differences between their language and cultural customs.^[29] Sylhetis have a strong attachment to their own dialect and mostly value family-centred life. They are generally seen as as more devout Muslims, for example many Sylheti women choose to wear the headscarf, and some Dhakayas choose not to wear it.^[30] Many still regard Bangladesh as their 'ancestral home' where they have their cultural roots. A citizenship survey showed, majority of Bangladeshis felt strongly that they belonged to British society.^[31] They firmly believe they should interact with its heritage and keep in contact with relatives there. Today, various organizations have been created to ensure expatriate Bengalis stay close to their heritage, which includes the Swadihanta Trust.^[32][33]

Language

In the UK, Bangladeshis mainly speak Sylheti, which is a dialect of the Bengali language. It contains many differences to standard Bengali, which is the main language used for administration, politics and writing letters in Bangladesh. Many youngsters are encouraged by parents to attend Bengali classes after school and sometimes take it as a GCSE subject in secondary school.^[34] While children living in Bangladesh learn standard Bengali with few difficulties, it is a very different story in Britain. Bangladeshi children usually enter school fluent in Sylheti, but with a limited knowledge of Bengali and little exposure to the written word, leading to many difficulties for them to understand the Bengali texts.^[27] The vast majority of 97% of Bangladeshi students, speak Sylheti as their first language and then English, which in some cases in schools English speakers tend to learn a few words or phrases of their language, and they generally segregate themselves from other ethnic groups in the playgrounds of schools.^[35]

Many families often use a combination of languages, Sylheti/Bengali and English for communication at home. English tends to be spoken between younger brothers and sisters, and Sylheti with their parents - whom many are unable to speak English very fluently. Many children, particularly the boys, also attend Madrassah - which is a religious school, or the Mosque in the evenings to learn to speak Arabic and memorise the Qur’an.^[34]

Celebrations

Crowds at the Baishakhi Mela.

The major cultural event celebrated by the Bangladeshi community is the Baishakhi Mela, an annual occasion celebrating the Bengali New Year which is held in May. It is Europe's largest Asian open-air event and is usually attended by around 100,000 visitors. It progresses from Allen Gardens to Weavers Field in Tower Hamlets. It is celebrated by women and children dressed in colourful traditional clothes and masks, joined by musicians, dancers and community leaders. The event is broadcast across the UK, Europe and Bangladesh and is watched by millions.^[36] In Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, the New Year is a national holiday which is known as the Pohela Baishakh. People traditionally dress up during this period and visit friends and family. Special foods are eaten and fairs sell handicrafts, sweets and toys for children. In London the event features a funfair, mehendi hand painting, rickshaw rides and four stages hosting music, theatre and dance displays.^[37] The Mela is also designed to enhance the area's community identity and bring together the very best of Bengali arts, music and culture.^[38] Brick Lane is the main destination throughout the event. The street contains stalls selling Bengali curry dishes while the parks of Weavers Fields and Allen Gardens provides a setting for dance and music groups, football matches and fairground rides.^[39]

'Crusing' is a very popular celebration by the youths during Eid, with high standard cars.

British Bangladeshis also celebrate several religious festivals. These annually include Eid al-Adha, Eid ul-Fitr. During Eid many Bangladeshis start the morning by dressing up in their new traditional clothing. The men wear Sharwani or Punjabi, and the females usually wear the common shalwar kameez. Men then head to the mosque for the Eid prayers, after which people greet each other and visit relatives across the city. People cook traditional food for their relatives. Dishes such as Samosas, Rice and Handesh are particulary popular. Finally, younger people, after finishing visiting relatives will spend the remaining time socialising with friends and spending time away from their elders.^[40] A popular habit of British Bangladeshi youth during Eid is 'cruising', which is especially prevalent amongst boys. 'Cruising' commonly means travelling across London in flashy cars. They are driven by the oldest teenagers of the group, with their speakers pumping out loud Rap or RnB music. Sometimes their occupants will also wave Bangladeshi flags from the car windows. During Eid, the police are on high alert due to reckless driving by some of these cruisers, whose cars are confiscated if they are caught.^[41] Sociologists suggest these British Bangladeshi boys and girls have reinterpreted the older, more traditional practice of their faith and culture.^[40]

Religion

The East London Mosque in Whitechapel.

The British Bangladeshi population is dominated by one religion, Islam. Out of all the ethnic groups in the UK, it has the largest proportion of people following a single religion, with 92.5% Muslim, and other religions at 1.7%, according to the 2001 Census.^[42] In London the 142,931 Bangladeshi Muslims make up 24% of all London Muslims, more than any other single ethnic group.^[43][44] Bangladeshis are mainly Sunni who follow the Hanafi school of teachings.^[45] The largest mosque co-ordinated by the Bangladeshi community, is the East London Mosque (located in Whitechapel, Tower Hamlets) who the current khatib is Abdul Qayyum, and the Brick Lane Jamme Masjid.^[46][47] During the arrival of Bangladeshis to the country, there were limited mosque availability for the communities, therefore prayers were conducted in council flats in small rooms. Until the 1980s, more larger facilities became available in areas where the Bangladeshi diaspora are at large.^[1][48]

Most people regard themselves as part of the ummah, and their identity based on their religion rather than their ethnic group, however some people do express themselves as 'Bengali' and 'Bangladeshi'.^[49] This new identity dismisses all types of ethnic or divisional concepts. Cultural aspects of a 'Bengali Islam' are seen as superstition and as un-Islamic.^[49] The identity is far more stronger in comparison to the native land. Younger Bangladeshis are more involved in Islamist activities and movement groups, whereas the older generation practice with Islamic rituals mixed with the Bengali culture, for example in the wedding ceremonies of the gae holud ritual. The majority of Bangladeshi women wear the burqa, prayers attended regularly, children attending Qur’an classes at mosques, fasting is observed by all adults and many children during Ramadan, and many houses are decorated with Arabic writings, images of Mecca etc.^[49] There are many Islamic groups present in the communities, the largest is the YMO (Young Muslim Organization), connected with the Islamic Forum Europe. Other groups also also attract a few people, the Hizb ut-Tahrir^[50] and the Salafi are one of those.^[51][52][1] And other groups include, the Barelvi, and the Tablighi Jamaat.^[53] All these groups work to stimulate Islamic identity among local Bengalis or Muslims and particularly focus on the younger members of the communities.^[54][55][48]

Further information: Islam in the United Kingdom#Bangladeshis

Society

Youth gangs

Younger Bangladeshis’ response to those conditions faced by their first generations during 1970s, was to spend more time outside their council flats. They started to join gangs and hung around on estates, where they developed a sense of dominating 'their' territory. When these youngsters took to the streets there were seldom white racists in the area to fight against for their self-defense, but now that the racists are not present in their territories, it has partly led to Bangladeshi gangs fighting each other. Bangladeshi teenagers involved with gangs are not afraid to show their alleigance to this kind of lifestyle. They favour heavily styled hair, expensive mobiles and fashionable labels and brands. These types of teenage street gangs have been around for a while but in recent years they have been responsible for sometimes lethal violence. It is estimated that in Tower Hamlets there are 2,500 Bengali youths affiliated to one of the myriad local gangs,^[56][57] 26 out of 27 gangs which are Bangladeshi.^[58] One of the notable street gang fights was during 2003, between the 'Brick Lane Massive' and 'Drummond Street Boys', along Bethnal Green Road, Shoreditch High Street and into Great Eastern Street, it involved around 50 youths in the chase, and led to over 20,000 police calls, many arrested and a few in hospital.^[57]

A Bangladeshi youth gang in east London, called 'Globe Town Massive'.

The largest gangs that originated in the 1970s in Tower Hamlets include the Brick Lane Massive a figure of a 250-strong, 'Cannon Street Posse', the 'Stepney Green Thug Passion' and the 'Shadwell Crew'. Other gangs include, 'Globe Town Massive' (which is believed to be one of the strongest gangs with no alliance) 'Brady Street Massive', 'Turin Street Massive' and many others. Until relatively recently, Bangladeshi gangs had their criminal elements - from low level drug use to credit card fraud. But many now are fighting over their territories, and a few over drugs or girls. They mainly use weapons such as samurai swords, machetes, kitchen knives and meat cleavers. Lethal weapons such as guns, are rarely used by them. When members reached their twenties they would usually grow out of the gangs. But today, as gang members mature, many are moving on to more severe criminality. Increasing numbers of Bangladeshi youths are taking hard drugs, in particular heroin.^[57][13] Islamic fundamentalism was also present among their identity, when there was one instance when the Brick Lane gang ousted out the white prostitutes out of the area. They describe them as a threat to their religion and customs, and 'are against the Qur'an', also remarks relating to Jack the Ripper. Many youths avoid eating pork and drinking alchohol, but not aware of that drugs is also considered forbidden in their religion.^[59][58] Local community workers suggest that, the only solution for the youths from avoiding drugs and gang culture, is to embrace Islamic values.^[58]

Contribution and notables

The history of Bangladeshis living in the UK, hit them hard from violent attacks to demonstrations. Many Bangladeshis felt that they should get more involved with the British society, they became more active in the political arena mainly in the local stage, mainly strong in the borough of Tower Hamlets. Others also contributed in the British media and business. Two of these achievements of politics are noted, for example Manzila Pola Uddin held the title of Baroness Uddin, who was the first Bangladeshi-born British and, the first and only Muslim to enter the House of Lords, as she swore in by her own faith, saying "Almighty Allah" as she took the oath,^[15][60] and Anwar Choudhury, who became the British High Commissioner for Bangladesh in 2004. He was the first non-White British person to be appointed in a senior diplomatic post. There was much support and agreement for his post, where many Bangladeshis and Muslims welcomed the move, home and abroad.^[61]

There are a few notables in the media, for example Konnie Huq, notable for being the longest-serving female presenter in Blue Peter - a children's television programme. She is one of the most well known figures in British television, mostly for the BBC's childrens programming, CBBC. Monica Ali is a novelist, and the Granta magazine identified her as one of Britain’s best young novelist. Her most notable book is the award winning, Brick Lane. Notable national news presenters include, Lisa Aziz - formerly a Sky News presenter from 1988 and for the BBC, she has won many television awards, including the EMMA Best Television News Journalist Award, and Nina Hossain who anchors ITV News. Syed Ahmed is a businessman and also a television star, he is well known for being a candidate on The Apprentice - a reality business television series, also appearing on numerous shows on Sky One. There are also many more located in the business, arts, and who are entrepreneurs, these include Tommy Miah who is a businessman and a celebrity chef, and Dr. Muhammad Abdul Bari who is currently the chairman of the Muslim Council of Britain.^[62][63]

Many of the Bangladeshi community people have also been involved with the local government, espicially in Tower Hamlets. There are hundreds of councillers working in local area of Bethnal Green, Bow, Mile End, Globe Town, Banglatown and others. Many notable politicians, include Sirajul Islam in Globe Town and the leader of the council of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman. These coucillers are elected to work and represent their communities, finding solutions to problems for the people. Other politicians include, Helal Uddin Abbas and the long list continues, whom many are part of the Labour Party and the Respect party.^[64]

Further information: List of British Bangladeshis

Political identity

Local government politics is primitive among Bangladeshis, but others however are involved with different politics, more localized. There are two sets of groups favoring different ideologies to the way politics for people should be presented, one 'Islamic' and the other Secular'. Between these groups there has been rivalry, and is steadily growing towards to being more Islamic. During the war of Liberation, that 'rivalry' between Islamists and secularists was present, the Islamists not in favor of the independence of Bangladesh, and secularists in favor of independence. After Bangladesh had gained independence, it had a secular commitment created by Sheikh Mujib, the founder. However, the principle was replaced by an Islamic way of life, by military leaders, which then marked the return of the Jamaat-e-Islami, the main Islamic party of Bangladesh. The political history of religion and secularism in Bangladesh, now is being re-interpreted and repeated again on British soil by these two different groups, one favoring 'nationalism' and the other, favoring the 'umm ah'. The secular group, showing nationalism through monuments or introducing Bengali culture, and the Islamic group, mainly through dawah.^[1][55]

The Shaheed Minar at Altab Ali Park.

The symbols of the Bengali nationalism are presented through the Shaheed Minar, which is the national symbol of the Bengali language movement and the martyrdom of the people, which commemorated during 1952. In the borough of Tower Hamlets, the Shaheed Minar is present in the Altab Ali Park, which was created from funds by the community in 1999. The monument was also built in Westwood, in Oldham, through a local council regeneration.^[1] The illustration of the monument, symbolizes a mother who is protecting her children with the orb of the sun in the background, which is also a similar replica of the Shaheed Minar in Dhaka, Bangladesh.^[65][55] Islamic activists stressed the commitment to a indubitable religious type of identity, which opposed the views of nationalist initiatives of secular ideologies by those leaders. These Islamic groups and activists expand their role in the local community, and say they are the call for the Muslim ummah for the people. These groups also describe these Bengali nationalism as a ‘waste of money’, a way to abstract from being Islamic, and claim to believe that the Baishakhi Mela celebrations are shirk activities, influenced by Hindu traditions. The apprahension has been witnessed between both groups, where Islamists and nationalists have both been criticized or attacked.^[1]

These incidents illustrate the competition for social and political control between Islamists and secularists in the community context. This competition revolves around the mobilisation of two different 'imagined communities' situated beyond the local ethnic enclaves - on the one hand, a Bengali cultural/nationalist diasporic space and on the other hand, a global religious space, the umma, the global community of Muslim believers. This sphere is highly dependent on collective memory and historical reinterpretations of the 1971 Liberation War and is shaped by the links between some British Bangladeshi groups and the Jamaat-e-Islami and by the participation of some Bangladeshi leaders within the Awami League and groups like the Nirmul Committee.^[1][55]

Education

In comparison with all pupils nationally in the country, Bangladeshi pupils have below average attainment at the end of each key stage, but the achievement by the pupils are steadily improving, mostly amongst Bangladeshi girls. The attainment of Bangladeshi pupils at Key Stage 1 is considerably below the national average and this type of same pattern can be seen in Key Stages 2 and 3. The number of Bangladeshi pupils who are attaining five or more A*–C grades in the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) are also below the national average.^[34] However according to Ofsted, the reports showed from many secondary schools that many Bangladeshi pupils are making significant progress compared with other groups, achieving better by the equivalent of four GCSE points. In London the pupils do better than the average of the whole city. Many of these problems relate to cultural or racial issues, for example long extended holidays, teenage violence or religious demands.^[66]

The greater role of fluency in the subject of English is playing a key part of education for Bangladeshis, the progress of pupils through Key Stage 1 and 2 in English tends to be growing rapidly compared with other such subjects in school. At the end of Key Stage 2, they are attaining 11 percentage points, which is above the national average in English. This is a very considerable type of achievement when set against the fact that their peers who have English as a mother tongue are also improving their language skills from a very different starting point.^[34] 97 per cent of Bangladeshi students in Tower Hamlets mainly speak English as a second language, after Sylheti, but even by that facts, they can perform as well as or better than white pupils at GCSE. Two-thirds of all pupils in Tower Hamlets who receive free school meals are Bangladeshi.^[35]

Bangladeshi pupils make more progress than several other minority ethnic groups between Key Stage 3 and GCSE. Bengali speaking pupils with greater English fluency are closing the gap for GCSE average scores with other language groups. For example, 71% of Bangladeshi pupils who achieve level 5 at Key Stage 3 achieve five or more A*–C grades at GCSE, compared with 67% of Pakistani pupils and 48% of Black Caribbean pupils. Overall, the correlation between FSM eligibility and attainment at GCSE is less strong for Bangladeshi girls and boys than for other groups. Overall, girls are more likely to do better in education than boys, with 55% of girls achieving 5 or more A*-C at GCSE compared with boys at 41%, and the achievement rate overall is at 48% for Bangladeshi pupils compared with 53% for all pupils.^[34]

Health

Bangladeshis have the highest rates of illnesses in the UK, as of 2001. They were more likely to suffer from medical conditions, fevers or headaches than any other ethnic group. The men were three times as likely to visit their doctor than men in the general population. The age standardized rates for both genders of Bangladeshis were twice as larger than the White British. And taking account of the different structures of age groups, Bangladeshis also had the highest rates of people with disabilities.^[67]

Smoking was another serious health issue which was raised amongst the Bangladeshi community. They were most likely to smoke cigarettes at a rate of 44% in 1999 in England than any other people. The smoking was very common amongst the men, but a very a few women smoked cigarettes compared to men, however 26% were to have chewed tobacco. Tobacco was mainly used as conjuction with the cigarettes. Bangladeshis, have the highest amounts of gender difference in terms of smoking, it is believed to be because of cultural or religious customs because of these differences. Smoking amongst Bangladeshis was also part of the socio-economic problems facing the people, which explained why many men do smoke.^[68]

The women of the community is found to suffer from a medical condition termed as the Begum Syndrome. Many women would had to visit the doctors for an analysis, the symptoms as said by the women was all related to pain inside the body. The researchers finally concluded it was not a serious medical condition, in fact it was just a talk of pain, it was all a form of somatisation, an internalisation of the women’s depleted types of resources and cramped dwellings of which they lived in.^[13]

Economy

Business

Chicken tikka masala served with rice, considered to be the creation of a Bangladeshi.

British Bangladeshis have established themselves by creating new businesses throughout the UK. Today many of the Bangladeshi community are now part of the Curry Industry in Britain, more than 8 out of 10 Indian restaurants in the UK are owned by Bangladeshis. The number of restaurants owned by Bangladeshis increased rapidly years after years. In 1946, there were 20 restaurants or small cafes which were owned by Bengalis; then in 1960 there were 300 owned; and by 1980, more than 3,000 have been created by them. Now, as of today there are 8,500 Indian restaurants, of which around 7,200 are Bangladeshi. One of the main dishes in those restaurants, the chicken tikka masala, is now regarded as Britain's national food dish. The curry industry is seen as a great success for Bangladeshis living in Britain, the industry which changed the culture of food in British cuisine.^[7][69] Chicken tikka masala is now served in restaurants around the globe, and a UK survey claimed it is the country's most popular restaurant dish.^[70] One in seven curries sold in the UK is a chicken tikka. The popularity of the dish lead the UK Foreign Minister to proclaim it as Britain's true national dish^[71][72], the former prime minister, Tony Blair also recognised it as the favourite dish, by eating at Bangladeshi curry restaurant for his daughter's birthday. The Bangladeshi industry, contributes a large proportion to the economy, by £4 billion a year.^[69]

A Bengali wedding sari shop in Whitechapel.

Many other Bangladeshis own grocery stores. Whitechapel is a thriving local street market which is located opposite the famous Royal London Hospital, which is the largest hospital in Britain. The market offers many low-priced goods for the people working in the area and the local Bengali community. People will go to grab a bargain everyday from Monday to Saturday, which contains with over 80 stalls selling many products and foods, everything from fresh fruit to fish, clothing, bedding, carpets, jewellery and electrical goods such as toys. The nearby East London Mosque ensures a steady stream of visitors and many stalls now sell Indian spices and exotic vegetables as well as great quality silks and saree fabric.^[73] In Brick Lane, other than curry being served, there are many Bengali staples available such as jack fruit, betel nut and paan leaves and frozen fish caught from the Surma River. Various travel agents offer many flights to Sylhet with the national airline, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, for around £500 and a new airline called, Air Sylhet was created by British Bangladeshi diaspora, offering low cost flights between both countries.^[74] Every Bangladeshi business located in the East End seems to hark back to the city of Sylhet, for example the weekly Sylheter Dak - which has a UK circulation of around 7,000 a week; a shop called Sylhet Stores; a lawyers' office called Sylhet & Co; and a Bangladeshi Welfare Association. There are also booming black market in money transfer, such as First Solution Money Transfer which in June 2007, the company went into liquidation owing nearly £2 million pounds to the public who used their services.^[75][7]

Channel S was launched in 2004, and claims to be the voice of the Bangladeshi community.

People have gone beyond by working in Media, where the first Bangladeshi channel abroad was created called Bangla TV in 1999^[76], and later another channel called Channel S in 2004, its slogan 'Working for the community' reflects on the programs it broadcasts, with many talk shows offering advice from lawyers and barristers such as 'Legal Advice', programmes for children, talk shows, Bengali film and entertainment, an Islamic voice for the community, and much of the channel is broadcasted in the community language, Sylheti - the only Bangladeshi channel to do so. It has recently launched an Islamic channel called Islam4u - a channel providing with Islamic programmes in English and Bengali, and a new game show called 'Win A Car' offers people to win a Mercedes C-class, which 'specifically targerts the British Bangladeshi community', 'the first entertainment in Sylheti'.^[77] Since then the channel had acquired the rights to broadcast the Baishakhi Mela, and there has been bitter rivalry between both channels. Other companies linked with the channel include, Prestige - an accident management service, and Purple i - an IT expert company providing solutions to many restaurants.^[3][7][78]

Business threat

In April 2008 restaurants owned by Bangladeshis came under threat. Many of those who work in these businesses are recent immigrants legally brought in from outside the UK. The British government announced it would change immigration laws for these workers, blocking access for high skilled chefs from Bangladesh. The law demanded these workers speak fluent English, and have good formal qualifications in order to meet the requirements of society and work in Britain.

These laws have not only affected the Bangladeshis, but have hit other migrant workers from China and India. However, the legislation may have a particularly dramatic effect on Bangladeshis because so many of them rely heavily on the curry business. It has been estimated that 30% of their restaurant businesses are seriously threatened by these new laws.^[79] On 20 April 2008, 44,000 people gathered and protested in London, including Bangladeshis, Chinese and Indians and other groups who were unhappy with the changes to the law. They argued their contribution to the economy of the United Kingdom meant they deserved better treatment.^[79]

Remittance

The financial relationship between Bangladeshis in Britain and their kin in Bangladesh is changing, however. In 1995, a report indicated that 20% of Bangladeshi families in East London were sending money to Bangladesh, whereas during the 1960s and 1970s approximately 85% were remitting their savings. Today, the proportion may be even lower than 20%. For a large number of families in Britain the cost of living, housing, or education for the children severely constrains any regular financial commitment towards Bangladesh. Moreover, the family reunion process has resulted in the social and economic reproduction of the household in Britain and conflicts (over land for example) can arise involving the mutual or reciprocal relationship between members of a joint household divided by migration. This, in turn, can reduce even more the level of investment in Sylhet.^[1]

The emergence of a second and a third generation of British Bangladeshis is another factor explaining the declining proportion of people’s income being invested in remittances. While many young British Bangladeshis still value Bangladesh as the ‘ancestral home’ where their cultural "roots" are, it appears that very few of them are willing to invest, send money regularly, or stay for a long term.^[1]

Many Bangladeshi people are sending money to Bangladesh to build luxury types of houses, whereas in the United Kingdom many are living in poverty, facing deprivation, and spending less. In Bangladeshi villages, there are hundreds of luxury homes built, the financial support mainly sent from the UK. So many are returning to build homes in Bangladesh that they are fuelling a building boom in Sylhet, north eastern Bangladesh, the region which gave Britain most of the migrants who are now at the heart of the curry empire.^[80]

Controversy

In July 2007, a British-based firm called 'First Solution Money Transfer' went into liquidation. Company chairman, Dr Fazal Mahmood, admitted the business owed hundreds of thousands of pounds to the public. The firm claimed it had lost control of the money it handled due to a lack of regulation in this fast-growing sector of the economy.

The company was heavily used by the Bangladeshi community to send money to relatives in Bangladesh. However, huge amounts of this cash were lost. The scandal provoked anger amongst the community. Dr Mahmood received death threats and his home was pelted with eggs. Local leaders asked tough questions about the business's management, and the MP George Galloway raised the matter in the House of Commons. It eventually emerged that the company had lost an estimated 1.7 million pounds of public money.^[75][81][82]

See also: First Solution Money Transfer

Housing

Typical Bangladeshi occupied housing estates, where many live in two bedroom flats.

Bangladeshi households contain the largest numbers of people living together than any other ethnic group. The average number of people living in each house was 4.5 people (at least 5 people in each house), based on the census. Households which contained only one person was at just 9%. Nearly three-quarters of houses at least contained a child living with parents, the highest figure than any other ethnic group, three times larger than White families. The percent of houses which contained a married couple was at 54%, also the largest, and the proportion of pensioner households ranged from 2 per cent of Bangladeshi households to 27 per cent of White Irish households. These types of households made up 2 per cent of all households in Great Britain whereas among the Bangladeshi community they made up 17 per cent of households.

Bangladeshis living London were to be 40 times more likely to be living in cramped and poor housing types of housing than anyone else in the country, especially in the London borough of Tower Hamlets, where more than half of the UK Bangladeshi population lives. Families were to have twice as many people per room as white households and 43% live in homes with insufficient bedroom space - compared with a national average of just 3%. The desire to remain within a tight community is putting Bangladeshis off moving to new larger housing and to areas where larger properties and space are available.^[83] A third of Bangladeshi homes contain more than one family – 64% of all overcrowded households in Tower Hamlets are Bangladeshi.^[35]

Employment

A lot of Bangladeshis are mainly employed in the distribution, hotel and restaurant industries, for both men and women. This is unsuprising, because many Bangladeshis have founded the restaurant and curry houses throughout Britain. 1 in 3 Bangladeshi women worked in this industry in 2004, compared with one in five of all women in employment.^[84]

Between 2001 and 2002, particularly among men, Bangladeshis had the highest unemployment rate in Britain at 20%, which is four times that for White British or White Irish men. The Bangladeshi women also had the highest unemployment rate of all at 24 per cent, and over 40 per cent of under the age 25 Bangladeshi men were unemployed.^[85] Unemployment was mostly high amongst the youths, for example in Tower Hamlets itself had 32% of people aged between 18-25 years who were unemployed. The rates of unemployment and under-achievement are sometimes very common with Bangladeshis. The average earnings of the Bangladeshis were at only £150 per week, which is considered to be very low.^[86][69]

New generation Bangladeshis living in Britain, are now willing to be involved and employed in professional careers. Bangladeshis were most likely to be employed or own curry restaurants in Britain. However, this is mainly present among the older generation or the first generation who have started this cultural business. The younger generation who are receiving better education in comparison with their ancestors, are not very influenced by the business of the curry. Many of these people are now looking to have professional types of careers in the mainstream of British business. In the third and fourth generation of British Bangladeshis, are also to be involved with politics, increasing numbers of people are barristers. Also many are, doctors, IT and management specialists, teachers and working in the business. Notable British Bangladeshis in professional careers include, Iftekharul Islam - Citigroup macro-strategy managing director, Sham Ahmed - Mathworks managing director, Asif Ahmed - director of Asia International Group of UK Trade and Investment and many more.^[69]

Demographics

Further information: Lists of UK locations with large ethnic minority populations

Bangladeshis in Britain are a largely young population, heavily concentrated in London’s inner boroughs and experience a range of socio-economic problems. According to the most reliable national enumeration – the decennial Census – in 2001; 283,063 Bangladeshis lived in the United Kingdom, forming 0.5% of the total population.^[87] 54 percent of the Bangladeshi population lived in the Greater London area and a high proportion of these London inhabitants were located within the inner boroughs.^[88]

Indeed, the 'heartland' of the London Bangladeshi community is to be found in Tower Hamlets, which contained 65,553 Bangladeshi residents or over 30% of the borough and 22.8% of the UK Bangladeshi population. More than half of Bangladeshis were born in Bangladesh compared with 46 per cent who were born in the UK. The percentage of Bangladeshis born in the UK has increased from 35 per cent in 1991. Bangladesh ranks third in the list of countries of birth for Londoners born outside the United Kingdom.^[89] The number of people who are Bangladeshi-born, who are living in the UK is 154,201 - the most popular areas are in London with 84,565, with the area of Poplar in Tower Hamlets, being the most popular with 14,100 Bangladeshi-born people, including Stepney (12,900) and outside London, Oldham (4,300)^[8]

British regions

The table below shows the dispersity of Bangladeshi people in the United Kingdom. The percentages include, the population percentage of the total population of the region itself, and the percentage of the Bangladeshi population in that region.^[88] The population of the regions, are data from the Office for National Statistics (Neighbourhood Statistics), as of 2006 estimates.^[4]

Bangladeshi population in the United Kingdom regions
Region	Population of region	Bangladeshi population	Percentage of total population	Percentage of UK-Bangladeshi population (Census 01)	Significant communities
London [90]	7,512,400	170,500	2.3%	54.37%	Tower Hamlets - 33% Newham - 10% Camden - 6%
West Midlands [91]	5,366,700	38,300	0.7%	11.09%	Birmingham - 2%
East Midlands [92]	4,364,200	11,000	0.3%	2.45%
South East [93]	8,237,800	23,800	0.3%	5.43%
North West [94]	6,853,200	33,100	0.5%	9.19%	Oldham - 5% Burnley - 1.6% Rochdale - 1.5% Manchester - 1.0% Rossendale - 1.4%
East [95]	5,606,600	27,500	0.5%	6.54%	Luton - 4%
Yorkshire and the Humber [96]	5,142,400	17,500	0.3%	4.36%	Bradford - 1%
South West [97]	5,124,100	8,300	0.2%	1.70%
Scotland	5,094,800	1,980	0.039%	0.70%
North East [98]	2,549,700	8,300	0.3%	2.18%	Newcastle upon Tyne - 1.1%
Wales	2,903,085	5,436	0.19%	1.92%	Cardiff - 0.83%
Northern Ireland	1,685,267	255	0.02%	0.09%

Tower Hamlets wards

The Bangladeshi populations in the 17 local electoral districts called wards in London borough of Tower Hamlets^[99] (based on census data, from the Office of National Statistics - Neighbourhood statistics).^[100]

See also

• List of British Bangladeshis
• List of British Asian people
• British Asian
• Islam in the United Kingdom
• Channel S

References