As we explore the root causes of poverty within the Bangladeshi community in London on the Reality Show with Mahee on Channel S, let’s take this opportunity to remind our community of the lasting impact of COVID-19—and how we came together in response.

It was a delight to have left a signed copy of ' Covid Crisis: the Brit-Bangla Response'  to the Scarlett Letters Bookshop on Cambridge Heath Road, Tower Hamlets. I really hope that the local community will benefit from learning about its community through my book.  

  I am grateful to Hasina Momtaz for inviting me to the Guildhall this afternoon to celebrate Victory Day for Bangladesh and in a cheeky way, I managed to promote my book -'Covid Crisis, the BritBangla Response'. I would especially like to thank Munsur Ali CC , Sheikh Aliur Rahman OBE , Snigdha K S Misty and others.

In one day Ripon Ray promoted 'Covid Crisis: the Brit-Bangla Response' book in two different places in London.  Initially, it started when Ripon delivered a workshop to ESOL students in Tower Hamlets to a group of women who live locally. It was organised by Becky Winstanley on behalf of English4All. Ripon spoke about the subject: 'Housing, council tax & your rights .' After the workshop,  Becky explained that Ripon wrote the book. It resulted in the women in the seminar speaking about their experience of Covid for better or worse.  Afterwards we took a group photo to remind ourselves of the history of the Bengali experience during the pandemic.  After the event, Ripon was invited to discuss the cause of poverty in the Bangladeshi community in Britain which resulted in a heavy debate between the penal members and the host. To conclude the event, the panel members got together to learn about the book.

It was a wonderful experience to have been able to give a talk to York University PHD researchers on my recent book on Covid Crisis. These researchers were so inquisitive and supporting of my work. I am grateful to Dr Suman Prinjha for for giving me the opportunity to speak about it.  Also, having spoken with Rabbani, I was able to approach a production company to make a short documentary. It would be a delight to meet in person in the future perhaps for an exhibition? Thank you, everyone!

On 4th July 6-8pm at Rich Mix, 50 people from all walks of life from the East End and beyond to purchased the ' Covid Crisis: The Brit-Bangla Response ' book and viewed the  Untold Covid  Stories exhibition (preview) which showed extracts of the book to remember the struggles of the Bengali community during the pandemic and their response. The exhibition was opened at 6 PM and were guided by  Saif Aslam and Doug Haywood (exhibition curators), Barney Snow (script editor), Miranda Snow (visual book editor), Chuks Ikediashi (Author's friend) and Ripon Ray (author).  At 7pm, Ripon Ray, spoke about the historical importance of such a book launch to capture the stories during the pandemic from the perspective of the Bengali community and how the campaign organised by BritBanglaCovid had become one of the major platforms for many minority communities predominantly from East London. Kawsar Zaman - campaigner for TaketheVaccine - highlighted the book's significance and the e...