List of British Bangladeshis

This is a list of notable British Bangladeshi people (Bengali: উল্লেখযোগ্য ব্রিটিশ বাংলাদেশী ব্যক্তিদের তালিকা). This includes Bangladeshi immigrants settled or residing in the United Kingdom and British-born citizens of Bangladeshi ethnic or national origin.

Successful members from the community are recognised in the annual BritBangla, British Bangladeshi Who's Who and British Bangladeshi Power & Inspiration 100 for their significant work, contribution and achievements in British society.

Business and finance

See also: Business of British Bangladeshis and Bangladesh Caterers Association UK

• Abdul Latif – Restaurateur known for his dish "Curry Hell".
• Aktar Islam – Restaurateur, curry chef and businessman. In 2010, his restaurant Lasan won the Best Local Restaurant category on Channel 4's The F Word. In 2011, he won the Central regional heat to reach the final of the BBC Two series Great British Menu.
• Aref Karim – Accountant and hedge fund manager. In 1995, he founded Quality Capital Management (QCM), which has assets in the region of £150 million according to the Sunday Times Rich List.
• Atique Choudhury – Businessman whose restaurant Yum Yum is Europe's largest Thai restaurant.
• Bajloor Rashid MBE – Businessman and former president of the Bangladesh Caterers Association.
• Enam Ali MBE – Restaurateur and businessman. In 2005, he founded The British Curry Awards. He is also the founder, publisher and editor of Spice Business Magazine.
• Iqbal Ahmed OBE – Entrepreneur, and Chairman and Chief Executive of Seamark Group. In 2006, he became the highest British Bangladeshi to feature on the Sunday Times Rich List (listed at number 511). He has a net worth of $250 million.
• Iqbal Wahhab OBE – Entrepreneur, restaurateur, journalist and publisher. He founded Tandoori Magazine and multi-award winning restaurant Cinnamon Club.
• Leepu Nizamuddin Awlia – Car engineer, designer and coachbuilder, who builds imitation supercars out of old models in a workshop on Discovery Channel's reality television programme Bangla Bangers/Chop Shop: London Garage.
• Mahee Ferdous Jalil – Businessman, founder of Channel S, owner of Prestige Auto Group and television presenter.
• Mamun Chowdhury – Businessman, and founder and co-director of London Tradition. In 2014, the company was awarded a Queen's Award for Enterprise for International Trade in recognition of its increase in sales.
• Moorad Choudhry – Managing Director, Head of Business Treasury and Global Banking & Markets at Royal Bank of Scotland plc.
• Muquim Ahmed – Entrepreneur who became the first Bangladeshi millionaire at the age of 26 due to diversification in banking, travel, a chain of restaurants with the Cafe Naz group, publishing and property development.
• Nargis Ara – Pharmaceutical researcher best known for being a candidate on series two of BBC reality television programme The Apprentice in 2006.
• Noorul Choudhury – Mathematics teacher at Reddish Vale Technology College, online recruitment consultant, property business owner and fabric technologist. He is best known for being a candidate on series five of BBC reality television programme The Apprentice in 2009.
• Nurun Ahmed – Businesswoman, marketing officer for Peterborough City Council and fashion retailer. She is best known for being a candidate on series ten of BBC reality television programme The Apprentice in 2014.
• Ragib Ali – Industrialist, pioneer tea-planter, educationalist, philanthropist and banker who has a net worth of $250 million.

The Apprentice candidate Syed Ahmed

• Sabirul Islam – Author, entrepreneur and motivational speaker. He has written three self-help books and developed a board game. Since 2011, he has spoken at over 700 events worldwide as part of his Inspire1Million campaign.
• Shelim Hussain MBE – Entrepreneur, and founder, Chairman and Managing Director of Euro Foods (UK).
• Siraj Ali – Restaurateur and philanthropist. In 2011, he was awarded the British Bangladeshi Who's Who "Outstanding Contribution Award" for his long standing contribution to the hospitality and catering industry.
• Sultan Choudhury – Banker, chartered accountant and Managing Director of Al Rayan Bank (formerly Islamic Bank of Britain).
• Syed Ahmed – Entrepreneur, businessman and television personality. He is best known for being a candidate on series two of BBC reality television programme The Apprentice in 2006.
• Toffael Rashid – Global marketing professional who currently works for Leo Burnett Worldwide as Regional Planning Director for Samsung business across Asia Pacific. He previously worked in various roles for Unilever.
• Mohammad Ajman "Tommy" Miah – Celebrity chef and restaurateur. In 1991, he founded the Indian Chef of the Year Competition.
• Wali Tasar Uddin MBE – Entrepreneur, restaurateur, community leader and Chairman of the Bangladesh-British Chamber of Commerce.
• Waliur Rahman Bhuiyan OBE – Managing Director and Country Head of BOC Bangladesh Limited.

Broadcast media

See also: Bangla TV, BBC Janala, Betar Bangla, and Channel S

Former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq

• Ajmal Masroor – Television presenter, politician and Imam. He was the Liberal Democrats Parliamentary candidate for Bethnal Green and Bow constituency in the 2010 General Election. He is a television presenter on political and Islamic programmes on Islam Channel and Channel S.
• Ali Shahalom – Comedian who hosts his own YouTube channel called Aliofficial1 with comedy sketches. Since May 2014, he has hosted The Variety Show on Channel S.
• Fazle Lohani – Journalist, writer, television presenter and filmmaker. He was best known as the presenter of variety television programme Jodi Kichhu Mone Na Koren.
• Hasina Momtaz – News presenter for Channel i Europe and previously for NTV Europe, and former press officer for the Mayor of London between 2003 and 2011.
• Kanak "Konnie" Huq – Television presenter best known for being the longest-serving female Blue Peter presenter.
• Lisa Aziz – News presenter and journalist, best known as the co-presenter of the Bristol based ITV West Country nightly weekday news programme The West Tonight, and as one of the first Asian presenters to be seen on television. In 2004, she won the Ethnic Multicultural Media Academy's Best Television News Journalist Award.
• Nadia Ali – Television and radio presenter. Since 2012, she has been presenting the live Bengali show on Sunday nights for BBC Asian Network.
• Nina Hossain – Journalist, newscaster and sole presenter of ITV London's regional news programme ITV News London.
• Nurul Islam – Broadcast journalist, radio producer and presenter. He is best remembered for his work with the BBC World Service.
• Reshmin Chowdhury – Sports journalist and broadcaster. Since 2010, she has broadcast as a sports presenter for the BBC News Channel and BBC World News.
• Rizwan Hussain – Television presenter, philanthropist, international humanitarian aid worker, barrister, and former Hindi music singer and producer. He presents Islamic and charity programmes on Channel S and Islam Channel.
• Ruje Yasmin – Production journalist, television producer, news reporter and deputy news editor for ITV Meridian.
• Syed Neaz Ahmad – Academic, writer, journalist, columnist and critic. He is best known for anchoring NTV Europe current affairs talk show Talking Point.
• Tasmin Lucia-Khan – Journalist, presenter and producer. She is best known for delivering BBC Three's nightly hourly "World News" bulletins on 60 Seconds and presenting E24 on the rolling news channel BBC News. She currently delivers news bulletins and breaking stories on ITV breakfast television programme Daybreak.
• Yasmin Khatun – Journalist, television producer and broadcaster. She reports and produces for the Islam Channel, and writes for Sisters magazine and The Huffington Post.

Journalism

See also: Bangla Mirror, Janomot, Potrika, and London Bangla Press Club

• Abdul Gaffar Choudhury – Writer, journalist and columnist for Bengali newspapers in Bangladesh. He is best known for his lyrics on "Amar Bhaier Rokte Rangano" in 1952, which has become the main song commemorating the Bengali Language Movement.
• Abul Taher – Journalist who is a news reporter for The Mail on Sunday and was previously a staff reporter for The Sunday Times. In 2013, he was awarded Journalist of the Year at the Political & Public Life Awards.
• Emdad Rahman – Freelance journalist, football poet and blogger. He is commentator for The Guardian online opinion site and edits the blog All in a Day's Work. He has written three football poetry books.
• Fareena Alam – Editor of British Muslim magazine Q News. She was named Media Professional of the Year by Islamic Relief in 2005 and at the Asian Women of Achievement Awards in 2006.
• Mary Rahman – Press and public relations consultant and Director of MRPR.
• Murad Ahmed – Journalist who works as a European technology correspondent for the Financial Times. He writes about innovations with the internet, social media and consumer electronics.
• Rejina Sabur-Cross – Food writer and blogger. She edits on her food blog Gastrogeek and wrote the cookbook Gastrogeek: What to eat when you're in a hurry, hungry or hard up.
• Dr Rupa Huq – Writer, columnist, Labour Party politician, senior lecturer in Sociology at Kingston University and former Deputy Mayor of the London Borough of Ealing.
• Sarwar Ahmed – Publisher best known for founding Eastern Eye in 1989. He is currently publisher of Asiana and Asiana Wedding. In 2013, he was awarded the Services to Media award at the British Muslim Awards.
• A. N. M. Serajur Rahman – Journalist, broadcaster and Bangladeshi nationalist.
• Shamim Chowdhury – Television and print journalist for Al Jazeera English.
• Syed Nahas Pasha – Journalist and editor-in-chief of Janomot and Curry Life magazine.

Politics

See also: List of ethnic minority British politicians

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Labour Party MP Rushanara Ali

Labour Party life peer Baroness Pola Uddin

• Cllr Abjol Miah – Politician, Chairman of the Respect Party and former councillor for the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. In 2010, he stood as the Respect parliamentary candidate in Bethnal Green and Bow constituency at the 2010 general election.
• Cllr/Dr Anwara Ali – Politician, Conservative Party councillor in Regent's Park, Cabinet Member for Health and Well-being in London Borough of Tower Hamlets and general practitioner in Spitalfields Practice.
• Cllr Jilani Chowdhury – Labour Party politician, councillor in Barnsbury and former Mayor of Islington. In 2012, he became Islington's first Bangladeshi Mayor.
• Cllr Muhammad Abdullah Salique – Labour Party member, councillor for Bethnal Green North ward and Mayor of London Borough of Tower Hamlets for 2008/2009 municipal year.
• Murad Qureshi – Labour Party politician and Greater London Assembly Member.
• Cllr Nasim Ali OBE – Labour Party politician, councillor in Regent's Park, Cabinet Member for Young People in Camden Council and former Mayor of Camden. In 2003, at the age of 34, he became country's youngest mayor as well as the UK's first Bangladeshi and first Muslim mayor.
• Baroness "Pola" Manzila Uddin – Labour Party life peer, community activist and first Muslim and Asian to sit in the House of Lords.
• Cllr Rabina Khan – Labour Party politician, councillor in Shadwell, Cabinet Member for Housing in Tower Hamlets London Borough Council, community worker and author of Ayesha's Rainbow.
• Cllr Rania Khan – Independent politician, councillor for Bromley-by-Bow and Cabinet Member for Culture and Regeneration in Tower Hamlets London Borough Council. In 2006, at the age of 23, she was first elected as a councillor making her the youngest councillor in the country.
• Rushanara Ali MP – Member of Parliament for Bethnal Green and Bow Labour Party constituency. She became the first person of Bangladeshi origin to be elected to the House of Commons and one of first three Muslim women to be elected as an Member of Parliament.
• Cllr Shiria Khatun – Labour Party politician, councillor in East India and Lansbury ward, Cabinet Member for Children's Services and one of the short listed mayoral Labour Party candidate in London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
• Cllr Syeda Amina Khatun MBE – Labour Party councillor for Tipton Green in the Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council and Cabinet Advisor for Education. In 1999, he was the first Bangladeshi woman to be elected in the Midlands.
• Cllr Tulip Siddiq – Labour Party councillor in Regent's Park and Cabinet Member for Culture and Communities in Camden London Borough Council. In May 2010, she became the first Bengali woman in Camden Council.

Policy

Former British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Anwar Choudhury

• Abul Fateh – Diplomat and statesman. He was the first Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh after independence in 1971.
• Anwar Choudhury – The British High Commissioner for Bangladesh between 2004 and 2008. He was the first non-white British person to be appointed in a senior diplomatic post. He is currently the Director of International Institutions at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.
• Asif Ahmad – British Diplomat who served as the British Ambassador to Thailand from November 2010 until August 2012. Since July 2013, he has been British Ambassador to the Philippines.
• Dr Halima Begum – Civil servant, international development manager and Director Education of East Asia at the British Council. She was previously first secretary for development at the Department for International Development (DIFD).
• Mockbul Ali OBE – Diplomat, Islamic Issues Adviser to the Foreign Secretary and Head of Prevent, Counter Ideology at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
• Nahid Majid OBE – Civil servant, Chief Operating Officer of Regeneration Investment Organisation and Deputy Director within the Department for Work and Pensions. She is currently the most senior British Bangladeshi Muslim woman in the civil service.
• Rohema Miah – Independent policy adviser and former political advisor for the Labour Party between 1992 and 2005.
• Saleemul Huq – Scientist and Senior Fellow in the Climate Change Group at the International Institute for Environment and Development. In 2007, he was awarded the Burtoni Award for his work on climate change adaptation.
• Talyn Rahman-Figueroa – Diplomatic consultant, and Director and founder of Grassroot Diplomat.
• Taryn Khanam – Civil servant, Director and co-founder of BritBangla, and a policy advisor for the Department of Health (DH).

Music

See also: Asian Underground

R&B and hip-hop singer Mumzy Stranger

• Alaur Rahman – Folk singer who has released 40 albums.
• Bilal Shahid – R&B singer and rapper, whose debut album About Us: The Ultimate Love Story was released in December 2011.
• Boyan Chowdhury – Former lead guitarist of rock band The Zutons.
• Char Avell – R&B singer-songwriter signed to Tiffin Beats Records.
• Deedar Zaman – Rapper/MC and former member of electronica band Asian Dub Foundation when he was then known as Master D.
• Farook Shamsher – Alternative dub dance music DJ and record producer. In 2006, he received the Commitment to Scene award at the UK Asian Music Awards.
• Gouri Choudhury – Hindi and Bengali music singer and music teacher. In 1999, she featured on the track "Radhe Radhe" with Crispian Mills on the Kula Shaker album Peasants, Pigs & Astronauts.
• Idris Rahman – Clarinettist, saxophonist and music producer. He has produced and mixed albums, including two Mercury Prize-nominated albums (Zoe Rahman's second album Melting Pot and Basquiat Strings' debut album Basquiat Strings with Seb Rochford) and two albums by vocalist Julia Biel.
• Jernade Miah – R&B singer-songwriter signed to 2Point9 Records. In 2011, he was awarded Best Newcomer at the UK Asian Music Awards.
• Kamal Uddin – Nasheed singer-songwriter, Imam and teacher. In 2005, his debut album In the Name of Allah was released. In 2008, his second album Illallah was released.
• Kishon Khan – Jazz composer, pianist arranger and music producer. In 2009, his score for The Last Thakur won a Grand Jury award for Best Music at the South Asian International Film Festival in New York.
• Labbayk – Nasheed group consisting of singers Masum Hamid, Ehsaan Tahmid and Imran. In 2008, their debut album Rhymes of Praise was released. In 2010, a charity album in aid of Ebrahim College titled O' My Lord was released, credited under 'Ehsaan and Friends'. In 2012, their second album The Greatest Gift was released.
• Lucy Rahman – Singer who has been one of the lead singers of the jazz music group Grand Union Orchestra since 1998.
• Muhammad Mumith Ahmed / Mumzy Stranger – R&B and hip-hop singer-songwriter. In 2009, he became the first musician of Bangladeshi descent to release a music single with "One More Dance". In 2011, he was awarded Best Urban Act at the UK Asian Music Awards.
• Nazeel Azami – Nasheed singer-songwriter whose debut album Dunya was released in 2006.
• Rowshanara Moni – Bengali music singer and actress. In 2004, her debut album Nijhum Raat was released.
• Saifullah 'Sam' Zaman / State of Bengal – DJ and producer associated with the Asian Underground movement.
• Salique – R&B singer-songwriter whose debut single "Let Me In" was released in October 2013 and reached number one on the world iTunes music chart.
• Shahin Badar – Dance music singer-songwriter best known for vocals on The Prodigy's single "Smack My Bitch Up", which earned her a Double Platinum award.
• Shama Rahman – Singer-songwriter, sitarist and actress. In June 2013, her debut solo album Fable:Time was released.
• Shapla Salique – Bengali folk singer-songwriter and harmonium player. She has released two solo albums; Siyono na Siyona in 1997, and Lai Lai in 2002.
• Sohini Alam – Folk singer for bands Lokkhi Terra and Khiyo.
• Suzana Ansar – Hindi and Bengali folk singer, actress and television presenter based in the UK and Bangladesh. In 2009, her debut band album Suzana Ansar with Khansar was released. In 2013, her second album Mehvashaa, co-recorded with Raja Kaasheff, was released.
• Zoe Rahman – Jazz composer and pianist. In 1999, she was awarded the Perrier Young Jazz Musician of the Year Award.

Film and drama

Director of Kidulthood Menhaj Huda

• Afshan Azad – Actress best known for playing the role of Padma Patil in the Harry Potter film series.
• Dilruba Yasmeen Ruhee – Model and actress best known for her lead role in the 2014 film Shongram.
• Dino Shafeek – Actor and comedian. He starred in several sitcoms during the 1970s and early 1980s. He is best remembered for his comedy roles of Char Wallah Muhammed in It Ain't Half Hot Mum and Ali Nadim in Mind Your Language.
• Farzana Dua Elahe – Actress and music DJ. She is best known for her role of Parveen Abbasi in BBC soap opera EastEnders in 2009.
• Hannan Majid – Documentary filmmaker whose films produced by his production company Rainbow Collective have been exhibited at several international film festivals including Abu Dhabi, Cambridge, Durban, East End, Leeds International and AlJazeera International Documentary.
• Islah Abdur Rahman – Actor and director best known for starring and directing the web series Corner Shop.
• Jan Uddin – Actor best known for his roles as Jalil Iqbal in BBC soap opera EastEnders in 2008 and Sweet Boy in the film Shank.
• Jayasree Kabir – Actress best known for starring in Bangladeshi films Shimana Periye and Rupali Shoikotey.
• Leesa Gazi – Writer, playwright, theatre director and actress, best known for her play Birangona: Women of War.
• Menhaj Huda – Film and television director, producer and screenwriter, best known for directing and producing Kidulthood in 2006.
• Munsur Ali – Film producer, screenwriter and director. He wrote, directed and produced Shongram, a romantic drama set during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. This was the first time a British film was simultaneously written, produced and directed by a British Bangladeshi.
• Nazrin Choudhury – Screenwriter and actress on drama serials. In 2006, her critically acclaimed radio play Mixed Blood won the Richard Imison Award.
• Ruhul Amin – Film director who has made 13 films for the BBC and Channel 4, including 1986 television feature film drama A Kind of English. Most of them are documentaries and experimental dramas.
• Sadik Ahmed – Film director, cinematographer and writer. He wrote and directed short film Tanju Miah, which was the first Bangladeshi film to be officially selected in the Toronto, Sundance and Amsterdam film festivals in 2007. He directed feature film The Last Thakur in 2007, which opened screenings at the London, Dubai, Mumbai, New York and other film festivals.
• Shefali Chowdhury – Actress best known for playing the role of Parvati Patil in the Harry Potter film series.
• Sophiya Haque – Actress, singer and video jockey. She is best remembered for her role of Poppy Morales in ITV soap opera Coronation Street between 2008 and 2009.
• Tanika Gupta MBE – Theatre playwright and television script-writer. In 1998, her BBC2 screenplay Flight won an Ethnic Multicultural Media Academy Award. In 2013, she was awarded the Arts and Culture Award at the Asian Women Achievement Awards. In 2000, her play The Waiting Room, staged by the Royal National Theatre, won the John Whiting Award.
• Tariq Chow – Documentary filmmaker and cinematographer. In 2010, his first short film Faith in London was runner up of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation's Faith Shorts.

Arts and culture

Kathak dancer Akram Khan

• Akram Khan MBE – Dancer and choreographer with a background in classical kathak training and contemporary dance. He has received numerous awards including Outstanding Newcomer 2000, Best Modern Choreography 2002 and Outstanding Male or Female Artist (Modern) 2005, at the Critics' Circle National Dance Awards.
• Eenasul Fateh / Aladin – Cultural practitioner, magician and live artist. He was awarded International Magician of the Year in 1991 and the 1997 Golden Turban Award from the Magic Academy of Bangalore in India.
• Kaniz Ali – Makeup artist and freelance beauty columnist. In 2011, she was awarded the Best Make-Up Artist category at International Asian Fashion Awards.
• Mohammed Ali – Street artist well known for combining street art with Islamic script and patterns as Aerosol Arabic. In January 2009, he was awarded Arts Council England's Diversity Award.
• Naz Choudhury – Dance choreographer, show producer and artistic director. He appeared on Dragons' Den in 2010, and reached the semi-final Got to Dance with his dance troupe Bolly-Flex in 2011. He has bought some of the most famous Bollywood names to perform in the UK. He has played at the O2 Arena, performed at the Royal Opera House and opened the 2014 Commonwealth Games Handover Ceremony in Glasgow.
• Rezia Wahid MBE – Textile artist whose work has been exhibited both in the UK and abroad.
• Ruby Hammer MBE – Fashion and beauty makeup artist, and founder of Ruby & Millie cosmetics brand.
• Ruh al-Alam – Islamic artist and founder of Islamic calligraphic artwork project Visual Dhikr.
• Runa Islam – Film and photography visual artist, nominated for the 2008 Turner Prize.
• Saiman Miah – Architecture student who designed one of the two £5 coins for the London 2012 Summer Olympics Games.
• Sanchita Islam – Artist, writer and filmmaker. In 1999, she founded Pigment Explosion, which has branched out into projects including film, painting, drawing, writing and photography.
• Sonia Yasmin Ali – Model, presenter, singer and photographer.
• Sunara Begum – Visual artist, filmmaker, photographer and writer, she uses installation, film, photography and text. In 2006, she co-produced the short film The Idea and founded Chand Aftara Visual Arts, an interdisciplinary arts organisation based in London.

Academia

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Professor Andy Miah

• Prof Andy Miah – Bioethicist, Professor in Ethics and Emerging Technologies and Director of the Creative Futures Research Centre at the University of the West of Scotland. His work often focuses on technology and posthumanism.
• Delwar Hussain – Writer, anthropologist and correspondent for The Guardian. In 2013, his first book Boundaries Undermined: The Ruins of Progress on the Bangladesh-India Border was published.
• Dilwar Hussain – Research fellow at The Islamic Foundation in Leicester. He co-authored the 2004 book British Muslims Between Assimilation and Segregation and is on the Home Office's committee tackling radicalisation and extremism.
• Prof Ghulam Sarwar – Director of the Muslim Educational Trust, and an internationally recognised writer on Islam in English, especially for writing and publishing the first English textbook Islam: Beliefs and Teachings.
• Dr Miratul Muqit – Clinical neurologist whose main subspecialist interests are Parkinson's disease and related movement disorders, and he has a major interest in inherited forms of Parkinson's disease.
• Prof Mushtaq Khan – Heterodox economist and Professor of Economics at the School of Oriental and African Studies. His work focuses on the economics of poor countries including contributions to the field of institutional economics and South Asian development.
• Prof Naila Kabeer – Social economist, research fellow and writer. She works primarily on poverty, gender and social policy issues. Her research interests include gender, poverty, social exclusion, labour markets and livelihoods, social protection, focussed on South and South East Asia.
• Prof Nazneen Rahman – Geneticist who specialises in cancer and heads up the Cancer Genetics Clinical Unit at the Royal Marsden. Her research has seen success in identifying genes that cause cancer particularly in women and children.
• Prof Tipu Aziz – Professor of neurosurgery at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, and lecturer at Magdalen College in Oxford and Imperial College London medical school. He specialises in the study and treatment of Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, dystonia, spasmodic torticollis, fixed abnormal posture of the neck, tremor and intractable neuropathic pain.
• Tufyal Choudhury – Lecturer in international human rights law at Durham University. His research interests focus on equality law and in particular on racial and religious discrimination. He is joint author of Democracy under Blair: A Democratic Audit of the United Kingdom.

Legal

• Jelina Berlow-Rahman – Solicitor whose practice J R Rahman Solicitors specialises in human rights, asylum, family and immigration legal advice and assistance.
• Khatun Sapnara – Barrister and part-time judge. In 2003, she became the first ethnic person to be elected to the Family Law Bar Association Committee. In 2004, she was appointed to the Family Justice Council. She assisted in formulating and drafting the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007. In 2006, she was appointed as a Recorder of the Crown, which made her the only person of Bangladeshi origin in a senior judicial position.
• Cllr Maya Ali – Solicitor and Labour Party councillor in Westwood.
• M. A. Muid Khan – Barrister who was selected as the Best Human Rights Lawyer of England and Wales for 2012 by the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX). In September 2012, he was ranked as third in the top five Chartered Legal Executive Lawyers of England and Wales by the Law Society.
• Mumtaz Hussain – Solicitor and radio presenter. Since 2010, she has presented Health and Healing with Mumtaz on RedShift Radio.

Literature

See also: Bangladeshi English literature

Author of The Islamist Ed Husain

• Abdur Rouf Choudhury – Bengali diaspora writer and philosopher. He has received numerous literary awards from Bangladesh including the Granthomela award and life membership from Bangla Academy.
• Mohammed Mahbub "Ed" Husain – Writer of the 2007 book The Islamist on account of his experience with Hizb ut-Tahrir for five years.
• Dr Ghulam Murshid – Author, scholar and journalist. He has received numerous literary awards from India and Bangladesh including the Bangla Academy award.
• Kia Abdullah –Novelist and journalist, who contributes on The Guardian newspaper and has written two novels: 2006's Life, Love and Assimilation and 2009's Child's Play.
• Monica Ali – Author of the 2004 novel Brick Lane.
• Muhammad Mojlum Khan – Non-fiction writer. He wrote the 2008 book The Muslim 100: The Lives, Thoughts and Achievements of the Most Influential Muslims in History and the 2013 book The Muslim Heritage of Bengal: The Lives, Thoughts and Achievements of Great Muslim Scholars, Writers and Reformers of Bangladesh and West Bengal.
• Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed – Author, lecturer, political scientist specialising in interdisciplinary security studies and participant of the 9/11 Truth movement.
• Rekha Waheed – Writer and novelist, best known as the author of the 2004 novel The A-Z Guide To Arranged Marriage.
• Roopa Farooki – Novelist.
• Shahida Rahman – Writer best known for her 2012 novel Lascar.
• Shamim Azad – Bilingual poet, storyteller and writer.
• Tahmima Anam – Author of the 2007 novel A Golden Age which was the Best First Book winner of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize in 2008.
• Zia Haider Rahman – Author of the 2014 novel In the Light of What We Know.

Heads of organisations

See also: BritBangla and Greater Sylhet Development and Welfare Council in UK

Former Secretary General of Amnesty International Irene Khan

• Azad Ali – IT worker and civil servant for the HM Treasury. He is also the Islamic Forum of Europe spokesman, founding chair of the Muslim Safety Forum and vice-chair of Unite Against Fascism.
• Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin – Trustee and former Chairman of Muslim Aid.
• Faria Alam – Former Football Association secretary. She appeared in the fourth series of Channel Four reality television programme Celebrity Big Brother in 2006.
• Sir Fazle Hasan Abed – Social worker, and founder and Chairman of Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC). In 1980, he received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership.
• Irene Khan – Consulting editor of Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star, Chancellor of University of Salford, and former Secretary-General of Amnesty International; she is the first woman, Asian and Muslim to hold the position. In 2006, she was awarded the Sydney Peace Prize.
• Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari MBE – Physicist, educationalist, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain from 2006 until 2010, Chairman of the East London Mosque and Secretary of Muslim Aid.

Human rights and humanitarianism

• Dr Husna Ahmad OBE – Chief Executive Officer of the Faith Regen Foundation. She sits on the Advisory Board of East London Mosque and she previously sat on the Department for Work and Pensions' Ethnic Minority Advisory Group (EMAG).
• Dr Nazia Khanum OBE – Management consultant, researcher, Director of Equality in Diversity, non-executive director for NHS Luton and chair of various voluntary community organisations. In 2008, she carried out a research study of "Forced marriage, family cohesion and community engagement: national learning through a case study of Luton" for the Home Office and Metropolitan Police Service.
• Rahima Begum – Human rights activist, and co-founder and co-director of Restless Beings.
• Cllr Sandra Kabir – Philanthropist, Executive Director of BRAC UK, Labour Party politician and councillor for London Borough of Brent.
• Yasmin Choudhury – Social entrepreneur who founded Lovedesh, which offers escorted tours and holiday packages for Third World countries, and Amcariza Foundation, a charity which works to help the impoverished of Bangladesh.

Religious figures

• Sheikh Abu Sayed Ansarey – Chairman and Imam of West London Mosque and television presenter on Channel S.
• Sheikh Abdul Qayum – Chief Imam of East London Mosque, television presenter for Peace TV Bangla and Channel S, and former lecturer at International Islamic University Malaysia.
• Sheikh Abdur Rahman Madani – Khatib of Darul Ummah Mosque and television presenter for Channel S.
• Sheikh Mahmudul Hasan – Imam of Essex Masjid and television presenter best known for presenting Islamic Q&A show Jibon Jiggasha on NTV.

Sport

Former Dagenham & Redbridge captain Anwar Uddin

• Abdul Ali "Jacko" – Kickboxer who held world titles in the lightweight division. He also ran JKO Productions, which was part of the kickboxing promotion of Sky Sports and Channel 5.
• Anwar Uddin – Professional footballer who played as a defender. After joining Dagenham and Redbridge he became first British Asian to captain a side in the top four divisions. He is currently assistant manager for Maldon & Tiptree.
• Bulbul Hussain – Wheelchair rugby player who plays mostly in a defensive role for Kent Crusaders and the Great Britain paralympic team. In 2008 and 2012, he played for Great Britain at the Paralympic Games.
• Jahid Ahmed – Cricketer who played county cricket for Essex County as a right-handed lower order batsman and a right-arm medium-pace bowler.
• Hammad Miah – Professional snooker player. In 2013, he qualified for the 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 professional Main Tour as one of four semi-finalists from the first Q School event.
• Riaz Amin – Martial artist who practices Shotokan Karate and Filipino Martial Arts. In 2014, he became the current World Escrima-Kalis-Arnis Federation (WEKAF) World Championships world champion.
• Ruqsana Begum – Muay Thai kickboxer. In 2010, she became the current British female atomweight (48–50 kg) Muay Thai boxing champion. In September 2012, she was nominated as captain of the British Muay Thai Team.
• Shahed Ahmed – Professional footballer who played as a striker for Wycombe Wanderers. He currently plays for Sporting Bengal United and has now been appointed as captain.
• Tahmina Begum – Football referee and PE assistant. In 2010, she became the first qualified female referee of Bangladeshi descent in the UK.
• Zubair Hoque – Racing driver who is the only British Asian in single-seat formula racing.

Cause célèbres

Former Guantanamo Bay detainee Ruhal Ahmed

• Dr Humayra Abedin – National Health Service Doctor of Medicine whose parents tried to force her into marriage and held her captive until she was freed by court order in 2008.
• Roshonara Choudhry – Student who stabbed MP Stephen Timms on 14 May 2010 during his constituency surgery in an attempt to kill him. She was found guilty of attempted murder and jailed for life with a minimum term of 15 years.
• Ruhal Ahmed – Former Guantanamo Bay detainee depicted in the film The Road to Guantanamo.
• Shabina Begum – Student involved in the leading House of Lords case UKHL 15 R (Begum) v Governors of Denbigh High School (2006) on the legal regulation of religious symbols and dress under the Human Rights Act 1998.
• Shahara Islam – One of the victims killed during the 7 July 2005 London bombings. She was the youngest and one of the three Muslims killed during the attacks.
• Syed Talha Ahsan – Poet and translator who won the 2012 Platinum and Bronze Koestler Award for his poetry. On 19 July 2006, he was arrested in response to a request from the U.S under the Extradition Act 2003 and detained without trial or charge over six years before being extradited to the United States on 5 October 2012. He is among the longest British citizens detained without trial or charge in legal history.

See also

• British Bangladeshi
• History of Bangladeshis in the United Kingdom
• List of Bangladeshi people
• List of Bengalis
• List of Bangladeshi Americans
• List of Bangladesh-related topics

External links

• BritBangla website
• British Bangladeshi Who's Who website
• British Bangladeshi Power & Inspiration 100 website
• Banglalink - Who's Who - NRB in UK website
• British Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce website

• Alibhai-Brown, Yasmin. Comment: Cool Britannia II - the Bangladeshis are coming. The Independent. 5 July 1999
• Roy, Amit. Bangla babes rule Britannia. The Telegraph. 29 April 2007
• Ahmed, Nizam. Bangladesh has contribution in organising London Olympics. The Financial Express. 30 July 2012
• Ghosh, Palash. Bangladeshis In Britain Proud To Be ‘British,’ But Not ‘English’. International Business Times. 6 June 2013