Mumtaz Khan began her journey in Tower Hamlets where she learnt the tools to serve her community through social work and then as a local councillor in the East End.  During the pandemic, she lost her father and mother in law. This is her story. Early Life in Tower Hamlets Mumtaz and her five siblings, along with their mother, arrived in the mid 1970s to join their father,  to live in Spitalfields, Tower Hamlets.   They emigrated from Bangladesh to make Britain their home.  ‘There was a huge   struggle for my father to get us into the education system. There was a long waiting list. I also came at a time when east London was not the same east London that we were able to walk around quite safely these days,’ says Mumtuz. Fear, attack and racism She remembers the brutal killing of Altab Ali in 1978 by white racists which was a turning point for Bengali struggle in the East End.   The place where Altab Ali was killed was a minute walk away from where Mumtuz lived. ‘Dad kind of given us qui

We need to protect our community against a new wave. We've come a long way in Britain regardless of what mainstream media say about us Bangladeshis in Britain! Many of us live in overcrowded housing conditions  just like many Pakistanis.  We also work in public facing jobs just like many Afro- Caribbean communities.  Regardless of our challenges, according to the government's  Covid Disparities Report 2021 published on 3 December 2021: 'Bangladeshi group was the only ethnic group...the highest vaccine uptake at 91.7%.' We must not forget how far we, as a community, have come. We just need to push a bit more to protect ourselves from Omicron by getting a booster. -------------

Dabirul Islam Choudhury OBE was born in 1920 during period of British imperial rule in India. He is now 101 year old. He observed the collapse of the empire and saw the emergence of a new nation for Bengalis in front of his eyes. Whilst Bangladesh was forming in 1971, he remembers the loss of lives of so many Bangladeshis. The global pandemic brought back memories of the lives lost. During the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in 2020 he fundraised over £500,000 to save lives of British citizens. He donated the funds to help protect the NHS. He was made an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) by the Queen for his campaign work.

Royal London Hospital Nurse reflects on early life, journey to nursing to care for her community during Pandemic Early life of Bushara Bushara is one of eight children: seven sisters and one brother. Her parents came to the UK in the early eighties.  Her eldest sister was born in Bangladesh. All other siblings were born in Tower Hamlets.   She always lived in the East  End.   Initially they lived in Shadwell Gardens but since then lived around Globe Road, Bethnal Green. She explains that her family: ‘lived as squatters and it came to a point where eventually the council gave them a council property. so I've been living here since 15 years now, I think.’ Her parents did not speak English. To address the gap Bushara and her siblings learnt to speak Bengali to communicate with them.   She went to Central Foundation School. Once she finished studying at School and then college, she started working at a local Job Centre. She kept on working there even after she got married in 2015.    

 This winter is going to be a testing period for minority communities in the UK. We are front line workers, living in overcrowded conditions and in contact with Covid.  A public awareness campaign is crucial for this community.  BritBanglaCovid is to organise further campaigns to make sure minority community lives are saved. We also need to protect the NHS.

Daily Star writes about the work of BritBanglaCovid and how the pandemic may have developed Bangladeshi leadership in Britain, US and Australia. You can read more about our work by clicking below.

Winter is looming.  Hospitals are already getting full. You have been fully vaccinated. Are you already feeling the impact of Covid another time round either through  loss of your job or loved one in hospital abroad and you feel helpless? -  Get in touch with BritBanglaCovid and share your struggle and trauma.