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

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