We are proud to share that BritBanglaCovid has been recognised as the Best Minority Community Experiences Platform 2025 UK by Corporate Vision Magazine . This award is a meaningful milestone for our communities we serve.   Our work has always been about representation, empowerment, and making sure unheard voices are seen and valued.  A huge thank you to everyone who has supported our journey so far — this recognition is yours as much as ours. Here’s to continuing the work that matters. 🙏✨

  In Response to Baroness Hallett’s Covid Inquiry Report Date:  20 Nov 2025 BritBanglaCovid welcomes the publication of Baroness Hallett’s Covid Inquiry report and recognises the scale and seriousness of its findings. The report confirms what our community experienced first-hand: that the UK entered the pandemic unprepared, that systemic failures cost lives, and that inequality played a decisive role in who suffered most. For the British Bangladeshi community, COVID-19 was not only a public-health crisis but a social and economic crisis that exposed longstanding structural disadvantages. We lost elders, parents, key workers, and community leaders. Families were confronted with overcrowded housing, precarious employment, language barriers, and limited access to accurate health information. Our project was created precisely because these experiences were neither being heard nor documented. The Hallett report validates the urgency of our work. Its findings on strategic failu...

  23/09/2025 Dear Publisher ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We wish to acknowledge, with thanks, the receipt of all copies sent of your publications,  as listed below to the Agency for Legal Deposit Libraries. Once processed, a copy of each title will be sent to the following libraries, The Bodleian Library Oxford University, the Cambridge University Library, National Library of Scotland, National Library of Wales and Trinity College Dublin for Legal Deposit. ACQ.5171428,1 ALDL use ISBN Title 1.4586785 9781399988834 (pbk.) : Covid Crisis :The Brit-Bangla Response /

I am deeply grateful to Pen to Print for sharing my story and featuring my book on their platform. Writing a book is undoubtedly a journey, and in a saturated market where everyone is competing for attention, it means a great deal to have my work — and the challenges faced by my community — recognised. I’m truly honoured that my book is receiving further recognition. Thank you again! n.

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...

  Hi everyone, Not long to go for the launch of 'Untold Covid Stories' exhibition and 'Covid Crisis - the BritBangla Response' book launch. I just want to give you an overview of the day: 6:00 - Exhibition opening - you can check out the art corridors, speak to me (the author), speak to editors (Barney and Miranda Snow) and curator (Doug Haywood) and others who are like-minded like you and me. Feel free to purchase the limited editions of the book and T-towels - I genuinely mean limited! 7:00 - 7:30 - Free snacks provided by Oitijjo - everything halal and vegan - tea too. First £150 is free to drink from the bar - so hurry! 😘 7:30 - 8:00 - five-minute speeches by each campaigner, academic and me - just don't cringe!🙂 8:30 - The End, but feel free to party among yourself. The photographer will take photos of you: don't forget to say: 'cheese!' Registration here: https://lnkd.in/ege4JpQM Ripon Ray Founder BritBanglaCovid

  Ripon Ray’s exciting new book, ‘  Covid Crisis: The Brit Bangla Response ,’ and exhibition in the East End of London’s Rich Mix Centre will open on Independence Day, July 4th.  This critical text is “a major achievement as there are very few studies of the pandemic that focus in such depth on particular minority communities in the UK”, Alastair Owens, Professor of Historical Geography, Queens Mary University of London  Highlighting the dynamic response of the British Bangladeshi community during the devastating Covid crisis, the book reveals a unique insight into a marginalised community during a crisis—testimonies of the local community and beyond, collection of livid experiences during an unprecedented global pandemic. A space where marginalised and often vulnerable people's voices are given a platform.  Unheard stories insight detail:  “The Brit Bangla COVID Platform is an excellent and fascinating example of community-wide mediation."  King’s Col...

  He came to the UK in 1962. At the time, he felt the UK was pretty peaceful and safe. There was no rivalry, conflict or tension among many communities. He stayed with Bengali seamen. There were thousands of seamen. All of them were Bengalis from India. They came on a ship, and many married English women and stayed in the UK permanently. We are not speaking about just a few Bengalis. During the global pandemic, many Bangladeshis in Bangladesh lost their lives. If more die in Bangladesh, there may be a call for a national lockdown, according to Badsha Khan. He wanted to go to Bangladesh for Eid to sacrifice a cow. All the flights from the UK to Bangladesh were on hold. Instead, those who lived there shared the cow meat with others. He spent a few hours walking about. It was terrifying for him.

On behalf of Dr. Philippa Whitford MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Vaccinations for All, I am pleased to invite you to our in-person breakfast event in partnership with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance: ' Lessons from the Pandemic '. To commemorate World Immunisation Week, the event will take place on  Tuesday, 25th April 2023 at 9am-10:15am in Parliament  (final confirmation on the room to follow)   and feature a panel of high-level speakers, including Dr Seth Berkley, who will be in London for the last time as Gavi's CEO for this event. Further details will be shared in due course. In the meantime, please respond to this email to RSVP and do not hesitate to get in touch with me if you have any queries. We look forward to seeing you soon. Kind regards

Keep an eye on the vulnerable during Ramadan As many British Muslims begin to plan for a month of fasting whilst they endure, reflect and build solidarity among fellow Muslim men and women, it is also a time to reflect on what has impacted this community in recent years and protect the most vulnerable moving forward.  Having grown up in a Muslim family, I can imagine many Muslims are beginning to prepare psychologically for a change in their routine where they refrain from eating and drinking between dawn and nightfall. As they break their fast they are going to consume extra sugar content. The weather condition this year is a blessing due to shorter days and chilled temperatures. A few years ago one of my colleagues had to break his fast due to dehydration and exhaustion on an unbearable hot summer's day. Extreme heat can be a threat to many people’s lives. This is particularly the case when there are underlying health conditions and those who are elderly. Living conditi...

This is the final story of the pandemic by BritBanglaCovid. This time Najma Begum shared her experience of being stuck in Dubai, United Emirate, during the pandemic. She stayed in Dubai for nearly five months whilst being away from her family, yet felt guilty about being in the sun. Since the pandemic, she has been suffering from long covid. When the pain is extreme she takes medication to cope. Ethnic minority communities in Britain had seen more deaths than our white counterparts due to Covid. Najma also heard about her close relations passed away.

A local campaigner encourages community vaccination. Onupom Rahman, who  gave up being an Uber driver because he could not survive on nil income during the pandemic, is now working as vaccination worker in the East End of London to get his community members vaccinated and save lives.  Onupum lost two aunts to Covid-19. He  also felt insecure about working as Uber driver because passengers who he was  serving may be carrier of Covid-19. He then completely abandoned the trade as he was getting no income. Once Covid-19 vaccination was  underway, Onupom quickly joined Tower Hamlets Council's vaccination team to make sure he was saving lives of his community members. He is BritBanglaCovid's hero!

It was such a joy to hear from a diverse range of women's experience of British Bangladeshi origin as part of the International Women's History Month in Britain. Ripon Ray, founder of BritBanglaCovid would especially like to thank her Honour Judge Khatun Sapnara for stewarding the public meeting in such a delicate manner as Julie Begum, Jusna Begum, Ummul Chowdhury, Rukeya Miah, Rezna Khatun, Hasina Momtaz and Meghna Uddin and Tanzila Zaman shared their sensitive life experiences to the wider communities in Britain and beyond. It was no doubt a privilege and an honour to have listened to such experiences as BritBanglaCovid comes to the end of its campaign against Covid-19 in order to support the Bangladeshi community in Britain from the pandemic. I hope British Bangladeshi women feel proud of what they have achieved so far in Britain in order for the future generation of Bangladeshi women to gain confidence recognising the solidarity in their struggles.