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

Rujina Begum is a nurse at North Middlesex Hospital, London. She cared for the first Covid positive baby in Britain. Here is her story on  Brit-Bangla COVID. RUJINA ’S EARLY LIFE: Rujina lives with her husband and 15 year old son in a housing association accommodation in Tower Hamlets. Rujina is 40 years old. She describes her background as being very traditional. When she was growing up in the borough, she mostly spoke Bengali/Sylhetti at home. She went to Mulberry Girls School where she spoke English with her friends and class mates. She says: ‘My parents never really encouraged me to study and get a career. They weren't really clued up with all these things. I drifted throughout my teenage years. It was only when I had my son, who was born premature and he was in the Neo-Natal Unit, that I first realised that something existed where pre-mature babies were born and looked after... This is something I didn't mind doing.’ After giving birth, she was a full time mother and house

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis,  I wanted to find out how Bangladeshis in Britain have been coping with the lockdown. Although it's necessary for everyone to comply with self-isolation and remain two meters distance from others in public, many Bangladeshis are also worried about  their family members I'm such a troubling time. I am worried about my father who has been in hospital several times this year. His health problems are linked with breathing. He is in his early 80s. Just like my siblings and cousins, a number of Bangladeshis work as frontline key workers such as nurses,  care workers, social workers and other public sector workers; many of these individuals have put their lives at risk by working in dangerous and unprotected conditions. Current government statistics show that a high proportion of ethnic minority British citizens, such as Bangladeshis, compared to their white colleagues, are more likely to be vulnerable to catching the virus and die