In a challenging time, we need to work with like minded people and organisations for the same cause. BritBanglaCovid endorses and supports the work of King's College London for the interest of Bangla-Britain in times of Covid-19. If you know of anyone who fits the criteria please ask them to contact Julie or Ansar from Swadhinata Trust. 

Ritha Chowdhury shares her experience of Covid on BritBanglacovid. Her Uber driver husband lost his job, 300 colleagues on furlough scheme and many redundancies. She knows two people died of Covid. She is now the main breadwinner of her home.

BRITISH BANGLADESHIS ARE TWICE LIKELY TO DIE FROM COVID THAN THE WHITE POPULATION.  WHAT IS TO BE DONE?

As a boy Mahbub ULLAH felt the spirit of change for Bengalis from the Pakistani Army.  When he came to the UK he was attacked racially.  His mother died of Covid-19.  Currently he is shielding.  EARLY LIFE Mahbub   was born in Bogra, one of the districts in Bangladesh. His father’s engineering job, brought him to Dhaka, the capital city. He was brought up with five brothers and four sisters. He was part of a typical middle class Bengali family at the time. Thebvalue of education was central to this household.  He emphasises that: ‘some might have two degrees, some might have three degrees, some might have four degrees.   Once you have finished education, you then think about earnings. Not before.’ FREEDOM FOR BENGALIS Mahbub was 7 years old when he was exposed the reality of the liberation movement for Bangladesh in 1971. He has seen people being shot dead and stabbed in front of him. He personally ran away from the Pakistani Army when they came to his village.  ‘Luckily me, my brother

Nurun Nessa explains her experience as a migrant housewife, mother and Covid-19. She was born in Sylhet, Bangladesh. She married when she was 16. Her husband came to the UK as a manual laborer. She then joined him in 1986 with her 5 children. Since coming to the UK the household lived in many different parts of London until they were housed by Tower Hamlets Council. She has been living in Wapping since 1997. A number of her neighbours have died of Covid.

Abdulla Almamun plays a huge part in the local faith community by carrying on motivating volunteers to develop their confidence and morale during COVID-19. EARLY LIFE Abdulla was born in Sylhet, Bangladesh. He came to the UK in 1988 with  his family. Since then he was brought up in Whitechapel, Tower Hamlets, near East London Mosque.   He has three sisters and a brother. His father owned a factory and was involved in transfer of money business. His mother was a home-keeper. According to Abdulla  she made sure that: ‘we went to school, wake up, come back, go the local mosque, feed us, look after us.  We were fortunate, Alhamdulillah’.  He lived in the same five bedroom house with his family  until he was married.   He stepped out of Tower Hamlets when he decided to study at Kingsway College, Holborn. TOWER HAMLETS His dad was active in the community and part of the local Labour Party. Abdulla goes on to say that: ‘Initially, I hated politics.   I wanted nothing   to do with my dad. I do

R ubina Begum was a young bride who did not know the reality of life. The only thing she understood at the time was to maintain her home. Once her husband rejected her, she had to pick herself up, build her life and gain confidence as a NHS worker.  EARLY LIFE Rubina was born and brought up in Islington, London. She was married at the age of 19 and brought up with six siblings.    She grew up with the idea that she was to have a husband and live with her in-laws.   'I was not able to study. It was one of my dreams to be a   nurse. I was doing well at my education. It would have to come to an end and   sacrifice my ambition in order to become a wife and daughter-in-law.’ Before she was married her mother was terminally ill.     She had to give up her relationship with her only love. ‘It was like a Romeo & Juliet situation - a bit of Bollywood,' she said.  When Rubina introduced him to her mother, she felt that he seemed like a nice boy.   Her mother’s wish in the end was to

THE VIRUS LEFT A BENGALI CAREER MINDED HEDGE FUND MANAGER ISOLATED IN HIS HOME AND UNEMPLOYED KAMAL HUSSAIN’S EARLY LIFE Kamal was born at Mile End Hospital in the early 1970 near Brick Lane, Tower Hamlets. He grew up with 5 siblings. He went to Ben Johnson Primary School and subsequently to Stepney Green   Secondary School. At the time, there were not many Bengali children studying with in these schools. He went to Greenwich University and studied business management because he was ambitious.  He says: 'The kids did not have any guidance at the time. Also, it's not only the Bengalis, you also had the white East End Community... Before the 1970s and 1980s, you had a very hierarchical society where the white working class and Irish were lumped together in the East End. When I was growing up there was racial tension. I still remember when the British National Party had won the election in the Isle of Dogs.’   Culturally growing up in East London, he was torn between three differe

ABDUL SHOHID’S BACKGROUND His father came to the UK in the 1960s as part of the chain migration from Sylhet, Bangladesh. His mother joined his father in the 70s. She could not speak a word of English at the time. Shohid was born and brought up in Tower Hamlets. He was born in Mile End Hospital. He went to Hackney Community College and grew up with four siblings.  He lived all his life in the borough. He was the only person in his family and relatives to go to university.   ‘I am not sure what I expected when I was going to university. I felt this was something I needed to do. I was academically gifted…This would also help me to get a good job. I studied anthropology. In terms of understanding society, community and individuals, these are some of the things going to university has taught me.’ SHOHID'S WORK Currently he works with young offenders who are seen as high risk in the local community.    Many of these individuals  have language, misuse of drugs problems and have been broug