So, are still unsure about taking Covid-19 vaccine and the booster? England and Wales: Nearly 52,000 deaths each year before vaccine for DIPHTHERIA but only ONE death after vaccine. Over 460,000 deaths each year before vaccine for MEASLES Only 130 deaths after vaccine. World: 5 million deaths before vaccine for SMALL POX After vaccine Zero deaths. Do you still think vaccines do not work? TAKE COVID-19 VACCINE AND BOOSTER TO SAVE LIVES

BritBanglaCovid has organised its first online Zoom meeting since discovery of a new variant of Covid, Omicron.    Please register on EventBrite: here However, regardless of a number of challenges due to beyond the control of minority communities:   ‘'Bangladeshi group was the only ethnic group...the highest vaccine uptake at 91.7%.'’ This is according to the British government's Covid Disparities Report published on 3 December 2021. We have leaders from health, local and central governments, academic and grassroots members to encourage vaccination and to encourage positive discussion. SPEAKERS : Prof Patrick Vernon OBE - Health Campaigner Rokhsana Fiaz OBE - Mayor of Newham Rachel Blake - Deputy Mayor of Tower Hamlet Cabinet Member of Adult Health & Well-being. Chris Tang - Linguistic Education- Kings College London Shirina Ali - Community Advocacy Manager at Limehouse Project. Abdi Hassan - Founder of Cafe Afrik CIC We know there is vaccine hesitation in our commu

We must not forget that according to the current government's report - Covid Disparities Report 2021- published on 3 December 2021 that 91.7% of Bangladeshis in London have already taken the vaccine. This group is therefore the highest vaccine taker compared to any other ethnic group in London. BritBanglaCovid would like to say thank you to everyone who have played their part. We still have a way long way to go. We just need to make sure we carry on with the campaign and call for the take up of the vaccine to everyone. There are still a million Londoners who have not yet taken the vaccine. We must not forget other minority communities too. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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.