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 conditions &

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

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

HAPPY EID! EID MUBARAK! We do need to celebrate after a month of Ramadan; we do need to be over the moon.  I urge you to think about social distancing, although it is going to be hard. We are doing it for the benefit of our family and friends.

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