147-472: Journey Begins is the debut studio album by British-Bangladeshi singer Mumzy Stranger , released on 12 December 2010 by Tiffin Beats Records. Journey Begins features a mix of dancehall, reggae, bashment, hip hop and R&B and consists of tracks produced by Mumzy Stranger , Rishi Rich and Steel Banglez. The album also features a collaboration with Wiley . The first single from Journey Begins
294-628: A "British phenomenon ". Arabic is also learned by children, many of whom attend Qur'an classes at mosques or the madrasah . Many male youths are also involved with Islamic groups, which include the Young Muslim Organisation, affiliated with the Islamic Forum Europe . This group is based in Tower Hamlets, and has thus attracted mainly young Bangladeshi Muslims. It has been increasingly associated with
441-555: A "friendship link" between the city of St Albans in Hertfordshire and the municipality of Sylhet was created by the district council under the presidency of Muhammad Gulzar Hussain of Bangladesh Welfare Association, St Albans. BWA St Albans were able to name a road in Sylhet municipality (now Sylhet City Corporation) called St Albans Road. This link between the two cities was established when the council supported housing project in
588-589: A 24-year-old Bangladeshi leather clothing worker, was murdered by three teenage boys as he walked home from work in a racially motivated attack. The murder took place near the corner of Adler Street and Whitechapel Road , by St Mary's Churchyard. This murder mobilised the Bangladeshi community in Britain. Demonstrations were held in the area of Brick Lane against the National Front, and groups such as
735-682: A Bengali migrant, by the name of Saeed Ullah, can be found in Robert Lindsay 's autobiography. Saeed Ullah was said to have migrated not only for work but also to attack Lindsay and avenge his elders for the Muharram Rebellion of 1782. Other early records of arrivals from the region that is now known as Bangladesh are of Sylheti cooks in London during 1873, in the employment of the East India Company , who travelled to
882-542: A Muslim majority. Tripura , a north-eastern state of India has around 3.8 lakh Bengali Muslim population, or say 9% as of 2021. The Rohingya community in western Myanmar have significant Bengali Muslim heritage. A large Bengali Muslim diaspora is found in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf , which are home to several million expatriate workers from South Asia. A more well-established diaspora also resides in
1029-626: A Rishi Rich Kulcha Mix and a Bangla Mix featuring SH8S. Stranger's fourth and final single from the album is "Spaceman" featuring Wiley. Journey Begins was released on 12 December 2010 by Tiffin Beats Records. Stranger performed songs from the album with a live orchestra to 600 fans and media at a one-off concert on 18 December at Stratford Circus in Stratford, London . DesiHits rated Journey Begins 3/5 and commented, "Despite high expectations and many memorable collaborations and features, "Journey Begins" doesn't impress us. But we know how what
1176-494: A Social Mobility Commission study, children of Bangladeshi origin are among the British Asians who 'struggle for top jobs despite better school results'. The UK's Social Mobility Commission commissioned an 'Ethnicity, Gender and Social Mobility' report with research carried out by academics from LKMco and Education Datalab which found that there has been an increase in educational attainment for Bangladeshi origin pupils in
1323-573: A Sylheti migrant, claimed this was a very encouraging factor for Sylhetis to travel to Calcutta aiming to eventually reach the United States and United Kingdom. A crew of lascars would be led by a Serang. Serangs were ordered to recruit crew members themselves by the British and so they would go into their own villages and areas in the Sylhet region often recruiting their family and neighbours. The British had no problem with this as it guaranteed
1470-575: A bare majority of the population of Bengal proper (50.2 percent compared with the Hindus at 48.5 percent). However, in the eastern part of Bengal, Muslims were thick on the ground. The proportions of Muslims in Rajshahi, Dhaka and Chittagong divisions were 63.2, 63.6 and 67.9 percent respectively. The debate draws on the writings of some late nineteenth-century authors, but in its current form was initially formulated in 1963 by M.A. Rahim. Rahim suggested that
1617-478: A converted Muslim. He maintained a good rapport with non-Muslims in his kingdom. According to an interpretation of a Sanskrit sloka by D. C. Bhattacharya, Jalaluddin appointed Rajyadhar, a Hindu, as the commander of his army. He gained support of Muslim scholars – Ulama and the Sheikhs . He reconstructed and repaired the mosques and other religious architectures destroyed by Raja Ganesha. The Bengal region
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#17327798116781764-610: A county) of one of the four districts in the Sylhet Division. Most originate from the Sylhet District upazilas of Balaganj , Beanibazar , Bishwanath , Fenchuganj and Golapganj . Upazilas outside of the Sylhet District which have the highest numbers of origin include Jagannathpur , Sunamganj District , Maulvibazar , Maulvibazar District , and Nabiganj , Habiganj District . Since 2012/13, it
1911-662: A court ordered her parents to hand her over to the British High Commission. The commission has been reported to have handled 56 cases from April 2007 to March 2008. According to 2017 data by the Forced Marriage Unit (FMU), a joint effort between the Home Office and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office , of the 129 callers related to Bangladesh, 71% were female and 29% were male, 16% were under
2058-584: A great singer Mumzy Stranger is and we are hoping he snatches them awards." This 2010s hip hop album-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This 2010s R&B / soul album–related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This reggae album–related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . British-Bangladeshi British Bangladeshis ( Bengali : বিলাতী বাংলাদেশী , romanized : Bilatī Bangladeshī ) are people of Bangladeshi origin who have attained citizenship in
2205-778: A hub for the British Asian community and a site where the India League would hold meetings attracting influential figures such as Subhas Chandra Bose , Krishna Menon and Mulk Raj Anand . Ayub Ali was also the president of the United Kingdom Muslim League having links with Liaquat Ali Khan and Mohammad Ali Jinnah . Some ancestors of British Bangladeshis went to the UK before the Second World War . Author Caroline Adams records that in 1925
2352-522: A lost Bengali man was searching for other Bengali settlers in London. These first few arrivals started the process of " chain migration " mainly from one region of Bangladesh, Sylhet, which led to substantial numbers of people migrating from rural areas of the region, creating links between relatives in Britain and the region. They mainly immigrated to the United Kingdom to find work, achieve a better standard of living, and to escape conflict. During
2499-683: A major scale. A huge mosque called the Adina Mosque was built following the design of the Great Mosque of Damascus . A distinct Bengali Muslim architectural style developed, with terracotta and stone buildings showing a fusion of Persian and Bengali elements. Mosques included two categories, including multi-domed rectangular structures and single-domed square structures. A distinct style of Bengali mihrabs , minbars , terracotta arabesque , and do-chala roofs developed; this influence also spread to other regions. The Bengal Sultanate
2646-485: A minaret or floral design enshrining the word " Allah " which means "God" in Arabic. Rickshaw and rickshaw painting of Bangladesh are listed as ' intangible heritage ' by UNESCO. As a people's craft, of Bengal cloth architecture has seen transformation in the past decade for open-air public functions such as melas and religious gatherings like urs and waz-mahfil and Eidgahs for Eid prayers. The Patua of Bangladesh are
2793-662: A number of recent contributions to the culinary heritage of inner-city London. Drawing on the kebab culture introduced to the city by its Turkish and Kurdish population, as well as the city's chicken shop culture , British Bangladeshis have invented dishes such as naga doner, shatkora doner and naga wings. These fusion dishes are popular with South Asian Londoners, particularly in the East End. There are several Bangladeshi channels available on satellite television in Britain, most prominent of these include Channel S , NTV , and ATN Bangla . Bengali newspapers have been increasing within
2940-608: A population of 20,630 (9.16%). Based on the 2011 census, 52% of Bangladeshis were British-born, while 48% were born outside of the UK of which 212,000 were born in Bangladesh. In the same year, there was a slightly larger male than female population, with 52% male and 48% female. Bangladeshis are one of the youngest of the UK's ethnic populations. In 2011, 38.3% were aged between 0–17, 56.9% were aged between 18-59 and only 4.9% were aged 60 and over. Majority of British Bangladeshis originate from several upazilas (equivalent to
3087-568: A script that was historically used in the Sylhet region called, Sylheti Nagri . The "Sylheti Project" at SOAS University of London is particularly noteworthy for its efforts to promote the cultural significance of Sylheti. Standard Bengali maintains its prominence in British Bangladeshi media and is considered as a prestige language which helps to foster a cultural or national identity linked with Bangladesh. Parents therefore encourage young people to attend Bengali classes to learn
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#17327798116783234-640: A significant proportion of Bengal's Muslims were not Hindu converts but were descendants of 'aristocratic' immigrants from various parts of the Muslim world. Specifically, he estimated that in 1770, of about 10.6 million Muslims in Bengal, 3.3 million (about 30 percent) had 'foreign blood'. In the late 1980s Richard Eaton, in a book and a series of papers, raised awkward questions about the social liberation theory of conversion from Hinduism to Islam that have yet to be fully addressed, further endorsing Rahim's argument. In
3381-480: A similar monument in Oldham. Each year, on February 20, the community gathers to lay wreaths at these monuments. Most Italian Bangladeshis who immigrated to the UK primarily speak standard Bengali, though Italian is also spoken within this emerging community. One way in which British Bangladeshis try to hold on to their links to Bangladesh is by sending their British-born children to school there. Pupils are taught
3528-581: A single wedding, including decorations, venue, food, clothing and limousines, all areas in which there is competition between families. Forced marriages are rare; the British High Commission has been involved with many cases concerning on British citizens . Another media highlight includes a Bangladeshi-born National Health Service doctor Humayra Abedin . She was deceived by her parents after asking her to arrive at their home in Dhaka,
3675-623: A single, unitary, independent Bengal Sultanate. The creation of the Bengal Sultanate sparked several Bengal-Delhi Wars , which resulted in Delhi recognizing Bengal's independence. The Ilyas Shahi dynasty consolidated Bengali statehood, the economy and diplomatic relations. A network of Mint Towns - provincial capitals which produced the Sultan's sovereign currency called the taka - was established across Bengal. The Bengali state followed
3822-512: A unique community, in that their traditional occupation is the painting which is known as Patachitra and modelling of Hindu idols, yet many of them are Muslims. Gazir Pata (scroll of Gazi Pir ) is the most famous scroll painting made by Bengali Patuas . The weaving industry of Bengal has prospered with the help of the Muslims natives. The Bengali origin Jamdani is believed to be a fusion of
3969-420: Is shatkora , which is a citrus and tangy fruit from Sylhet, mainly used for flavourings in curries. Bangladeshi cooking has become popular in Britain because of the number of Bangladeshi-owned restaurants, which has increased significantly. In 1946, there were 20 restaurants, while in 2015 there are 8,200 owned by Bangladeshis, out of a total of 9,500 Indian restaurants in the UK. British Bangladeshis have made
4116-555: Is " One More Dance ". It topped the UK Asian Charts and was the first mainstream music single released by an artist of Bangladeshi descent. The second single " Fly with Me " debuted at number 15 on the UK Asian Download Chart and stayed in the top 40 for more than 17 weeks but dropped off the chart at week 18. There are several remixes of "Fly with Me", a Grime Mix featuring Flo Dan, Gods Gift, KID & Roly;
4263-478: Is 46% of people of Bangladeshi background – compared with 16% for the white British in 2009–11. "Bangladeshi background are also more likely to have a limiting long-term illness or disability and to live in more crowded conditions," it noted. Research from the Resolution Foundation published in 2020 has found that the ethnic group has the second lowest median family wealth per adult at £31,000 and
4410-529: Is 5, larger than all other ethnic groups. Households which contained a single person were 9%; houses containing a married couple were 54%, pensioner households were 2%. There were twice as many people per room as white households, with 43% living in homes with insufficient bedroom space. A third of Bangladeshi homes contain more than one family—64% of all overcrowded households in Tower Hamlets are Bangladeshi. The 2001 census for England and Wales found that only 37% of Bangladeshis owned households compared to 69% of
4557-644: Is also the earliest record of literature by a British Asian . Also during the reign of George III, the hookah-bardar (hookah servant/preparer) of James Achilles Kirkpatrick was said to have robbed and cheated Kirkpatrick, making his way to England and stylising himself as the Prince of Sylhet . The man was waited upon by the Prime Minister of Great Britain William Pitt the Younger , and then dined with
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4704-730: Is estimated that around 20,000 Italian Bangladeshis had settled in the UK, according to the Bangladeshi Italian Welfare Association (based on figures provided by the Embassy of Italy , London). Majority had settled within the long-established Bangladeshi community in East London. Many were skilled graduates who left their homes in South Asia attracted by jobs in Italy's industrial north, but moved to
4851-559: Is five per cent above the average, and Bangladeshi girls outperformed boys by eight per cent. In February 2018, according to a report from social mobility by the Sutton Trust , British Bangladeshi students are over six times more likely than white students to stay living at home and studying nearby. According to Department for Education statistics for the 2021–22 academic year, British Bangladeshi pupils in England attained below
4998-442: Is generally considered as a dialect of Bengali , many linguists view Sylheti as an independent language. In the UK, the widespread use of Sylheti as the primary vernacular by a majority not influenced by standard Bengali has prompted some to regard it as a separate language. There had been unsuccessful attempts by a fringe group during the 1980s to recognise Sylheti as a language in Tower Hamlets, which lacked much support from
5145-654: Is known as the Pohela Boishakh . The event is broadcast live across different continents; it features a funfair, music and dance displays on stages, with people dressed in colourful traditional clothes, in Weavers Field and Allen Gardens in Bethnal Green. The Mela is also designed to enhance the area's community identity, bringing together the best of Bengali culture. Brick Lane is the main destination where curry and Bengali spices are served throughout
5292-469: Is not fully understood. Lack of primary sources from that era have resulted in various hypotheses. Generally modern prevailing hypotheses about the early stages of Islamification of East Bengal focus on Sufi missionaries capitalizing on disaffected Buddhists and other indigenous groups following the initial conquest of the area by the Brahmin and Kshatriya dominated Sena Empire followed a few decades later by
5439-584: Is one of the best known accounts of the prelude to the Bengal Sultanate. Ibn Battuta visited Bengal during the reign of Sultan Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah , a rebel governor of the Delhi Sultanate who established a city state in Sonargaon . At the time, Bengal was divided into the three city states of Sonargaon, Satgaon and Lakhnauti . In 1352, the three city states were united by Ilyas Shah into
5586-432: Is predominantly used by the younger generation, while Sylheti is more common amongst the older generation. In recent years, an emerging Sylheti- Cockney variety has also been observed among younger British Bangladeshis in London. This blend often intertwines with Multicultural London English (MLE), where influences from Bangladeshi English further shape the vernacular, merging with the local slang. Although Sylheti
5733-662: Is the state religion and commands the demographic majority. The Indian state of West Bengal is home to an estimated 23-24 million Bengali Muslims as per 2021 estimation, rest 6-7 million Muslims are Urdu and Surjapuri speaking Muslims. Two districts in West Bengal ;– Murshidabad and Maldah have a Muslim majority and North Dinajpur has a plurality. The Indian state of Assam has over 9 million Bengali Muslims out of 13 million Muslim population in Assam. Nine out of thirty-three districts in Assam have
5880-623: Is the largest cultural event in the West Midlands and the largest boat race in Britain, attracting thousands of people. Bangladeshi weddings are celebrated with a combination of Bengali and Muslim traditions, and play a large part in developing and maintaining social ties . Many marriages are between the British diaspora ( Londonis ) and the native-born Bangladeshis. Sometimes men will go to Bangladesh to get married, however recently more women are marrying in Bangladesh. Second or third generation Bangladeshis are more likely to get married in
6027-628: The Abbasid caliph in Cairo . Portuguese India was the first European state entity to establish relations with the Bengal Sultanate. The Bengal Sultan permitted the opening of the Portuguese settlement in Chittagong . Soon after its creation, the Bengal Sultanate sent the first Muslim army into Nepal . Its forces reached as far as Varanasi while pursuing a retreating Delhi Sultan. Arakan
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6174-586: The Bengal Sultanate as "the richest country to trade with". Bengal viceroy Muhammad Azam Shah assumed the imperial throne. Mughal Bengal became increasingly independent under the Nawabs of Bengal in the 18th century. The Bengali Muslim population emerged as a synthesis of Islamic and Bengali cultures. After the Partition of India in 1947, they comprised the demographic majority of Pakistan until
6321-455: The Bhati region of East Bengal, the most fertile part of the delta. This made East Bengal a thriving melting pot with strong trade and cultural networks. It was the most prosperous part of the subcontinent. East Bengal became the center of the Muslim population in the eastern subcontinent and corresponds to modern-day Bangladesh. According to the 1881 Census of Bengal, Muslims constituted
6468-576: The Brahmaputra Valley and up to Hajo . Bengali ships dominated the Bay of Bengal and were the largest ships in the Indian and Pacific oceans. A royal vessel from Bengal could accommodate three tribute missions- from Bengal, Brunei and Sumatra- and was evidently the only vessel capable of such a task. European travelers like Ludovico di Varthema , Duarte Barbosa and Tomé Pires wrote about
6615-566: The Brick Lane Jamme Masjid or 'Brick Lane Mosque', which continues to serve the Bangladeshi community to this day. This building represents the history of successive communities of immigrants in this part of London. It was built in 1743 as a French Protestant church; in 1819 it became a Methodist chapel, and in 1898 was designated as the Spitalfields Great Synagogue. It was finally sold, to become
6762-670: The Duke of York before presenting himself in front of the King. Many Sylheti people believed that seafaring was a historical and cultural inheritance due to a large proportion of Sylheti Muslims being descended from foreign traders, lascars and businessman from the Middle East and Central Asia who migrated to the Sylhet region before and after the Conquest of Sylhet . Khala Miah, who was
6909-517: The East London Mosque . The Eid al-Adha is celebrated after Hajj , to commemorate the prophet Ibrahim 's compliance to sacrifice his son Isma'il . Traditionally, an animal has to be sacrificed, and its meat distributed among family, friends, and the poor as zakat (charity). In the UK, however, people usually purchase the meat from specialised shops. Instead of distributing meat, some donate to mosques, or remit money to Bangladesh for
7056-555: The Hanafi school of jurisprudence. There are also minorities of Shias and Ahmadiyas , as well as people who identify as non-denominational (or "just a Muslim"). Rice-cultivating communities existed in Bengal since the second millennium BCE. The region was home to a large agriculturalist population, marginally influenced by Dharmic religions . Buddhism influenced the region in the first millennium. The Bengali language developed from Apabhramsa , Sanskrit , Magadhi Prakrit between
7203-1114: The Hussain Shahi dynasty which was of Arab origin. They were in turn replaced by the Pashtun rulers of the Suri dynasty , who first acted as regional governors before restoring Bengali independence. The last dynasty, the Karrani dynasty , was also of Pashtun origin. The sultanate period saw a flourishing of Islamic scholarship and the development of Bengali literature . Scholars, writers and poets of sultanate-era Bengal included Usman Serajuddin , Alaul Haq , Sheikh Nur Qutb Alam , Alaol , Shah Muhammad Sagir , Abdul Hakim , Syed Sultan , Qadi Ruknu'd-Din Abu Hamid Muhammad bin Muhammad al-'Amidi, Abu Tawwama, Syed Ibrahim Danishmand , Syed Arif Billah Muhammad Kamel and Syed Muhammad Yusuf among others. Bengal's tradition of Persian prose
7350-401: The Indian National Congress , which accused the British of a divide and rule policy, caused the British government to reconsider the new provincial geography. During the Delhi Durbar in 1911, King George V announced that provinces would once again be reorganized. The first partition of Bengal was annulled; while Calcutta lost its status as the imperial capital of India. The imperial capital
7497-441: The Partition of Bengal in 1947. The Radcliffe Line made East Bengal a part of the Dominion of Pakistan . It was later renamed as East Pakistan , with Dhaka as its capital. The East Pakistan Awami Muslim League was formed in Dhaka in 1949. The organisation's name was later secularised as the Awami League in 1955 with the support o Maulana Bhasani . The party was supported by the Bengali bourgeoisie , agriculturalists,
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#17327798116787644-474: The 10th-century were of various religious backgrounds. During this time, Arab geographer Al-Masudi , who authored The Meadows of Gold , travelled to the region and noticed a Muslim community of inhabitants. In addition to trade, Islam was also being introduced to the people of Bengal through the migration of Sufi missionaries prior to conquest. The earliest known Sufi missionaries were Syed Shah Surkhul Antia and his students, most notably Shah Sultan Rumi , in
7791-428: The 1170s. This was an era of significant Buddhist-Brahmin religious conflict as they represented diametrically opposite camps in the Dharmic tradition with the Buddhist focus on equality threatening the Brahmin caste-based power structure. In the preceding centuries Buddhism underwent a slow decline as Hindu kingdom gradually enveloped Buddhists states in the area and began of process of "de-Buddification" manifested by
7938-643: The 11th century. Rumi settled in present-day Netrokona, Mymensingh where he influenced the local ruler and population to embrace Islam. While Bengal was under the Hindu Sena Empire , subsequent Muslim conquests helped spread Islam throughout the region. Bakhtiyar Khalji , a Turkic Muslim general, defeated king Lakshman Sen in 1206 CE and annexed large parts of Bengal to the Delhi Sultanate . Khalji also mounted an invasion of Tibet . Following this initial conquest, an influx of missionaries arrived in Bengal and many Bengalis began to adopt Islam as their way of life. Sultan Balkhi and Shah Makhdum Rupos settled in
8085-462: The 16 to 64 age group were reported to be employed, while 40% were economically inactive and 10% unemployed. Men were more likely to be employed than women, with 65% of men in employment against 30% of women. Of those employed, 53% were working within the low-skill sector. Bangladeshis were most likely to be employed in accommodation and food services (27.3%), 18.8% in wholesale and retail trade, 9.2% in education, 8.8% in human health and social work, and
8232-417: The 16th-century, many Ulama of the Bengali Muslim intelligentsia migrated to other parts of the subcontinent as teachers and instructors of Islamic knowledge such as Sheikh Ali Sher Bengali to Ahmedabad , Usman Bengali to Sambhal and Yusuf Bengali to Burhanpur . The process of Islamization of eastern Bengal, now Bangladesh, is not fully understood due to limited documentation from the 1200s to 1600s,
8379-438: The 17th and 18th centuries. Today, the weaving of Jamdani is classified by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage . Modern science was begun in Bengal during the period of British colonial rule. Railways were introduced in 1862, making Bengal one of the earliest regions in the world to have a rail network. For the general population, opportunities for formal science education remained limited. The colonial government and
8526-426: The 1960s, particularly with the Six point movement for autonomy. The rise of pro-democracy and pro-independence movements in East Pakistan, with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the principal leader, led to the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. Bangladesh was founded as a secular Muslim majority nation. In 1977, however, President Ziaur Rahman , trying to consolidate his power under martial law, removed secularism from
8673-584: The 1970s, changes in immigration laws encouraged a new wave of Bangladeshis to come to the UK and settle. Job opportunities were initially limited to low paid sectors, with unskilled and semi-skilled work in small factories and the textile trade being common. When the 'Indian' restaurant concept became popular, some Sylhetis started to open cafes. From these small beginnings a network of Bangladeshi restaurants, shops and other small businesses became established in Brick Lane and surrounding areas. The influence of Bangladeshi culture and diversity began to develop across
8820-453: The 7th and 10th centuries. It once formed a single Indo-Aryan branch with Assamese and Oriya , before the languages became distinct. The spread of Islam in the Indian subcontinent can be a contested issue. Historical evidences suggest the early Muslim traders and merchants visited Bengal while traversing the Silk Road in the first millennium. One of the earliest mosques in South Asia is under excavation in northern Bangladesh, indicating
8967-428: The BNP's attempted inroads were stopped after demonstrations of Bangladeshi resolve. In 1986, the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee 's race relations and immigration sub-committee conducted an inquiry called Bangladeshis in Britain . In evidence given to the committee by Home Office officials, they noted that an estimated 100,000 Bangladeshis lived in Great Britain. The evidence also noted issues of concern to
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#17327798116789114-494: The Bangladesh Youth Movement were formed. On 14 May, over 7,000-10,000 people, mostly Bangladeshis, took part in a demonstration against racial violence, marching behind Altab Ali's coffin to Hyde Park . Some youths formed local gangs and carried out reprisal attacks on their skinhead opponents (see Youth gangs ) . The name "Altab Ali" became associated with a movement of resistance against racist attacks, and remains linked with this struggle for human rights. His murder
9261-524: The Bangladesh community, including "immigration arrangements; relationships with the police (particularly in the context of racial harassment or attacks); and the provision of suitable housing, education, and personal, health and social services". A Home Office official noted that the Sylheti dialect was "the ordinary means of communication for about 95 per cent of the people who come from Bangladesh" and that all three Bengali interpreters employed at Heathrow Airport spoke Sylheti, including Abdul Latif. In 1988,
9408-425: The Bengali elite established several institutes for science education. The Nawabs of Dhaka established Ahsanullah School of Engineering which later became the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology . Qazi Azizul Haque pioneered fingerprint classification . In the second half of the 20th century, the Bengali Muslim American Fazlur Rahman Khan became one of the most important structural engineers in
9555-438: The Brick Lane area, vandalising property and reportedly spitting on Bengali children and assaulting women. Bengali children were allowed out of school early; women walked to work in groups to shield them from potential violence. Parents began to impose curfews on their children, for their own safety; flats were protected against racially motivated arson by the installation of fire-proof letterboxes. On 4 May 1978, Altab Ali ,
9702-631: The British curriculum and children born in the UK are dotted among those in the classroom. Since 2004, the combined Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities have consistently had the lowest rate of employment out of all ethnic groups, although this figure has improved from 44% in 2004 to 58% in 2021. Bangladeshis are now mainly employed in the distribution , hotel and restaurant industries. New generation Bangladeshis, however, aspire to professional careers, becoming doctors, engineers, IT management specialists, teachers and in business. In 2011 within England and Wales, nearly-half (48%) of British Bangladeshis in
9849-483: The East London Mosque, which is one of the largest mosques used predominantly by Bangladeshis. In 2004, the mosque created a new extension attached, the London Muslim Centre which holds up to 10,000 people. According to the 2021 census, nearly 70 percent of British Bangladeshis speak English as their main language, while 20 percent are fluent or proficient in it. Sylheti remains the most commonly spoken heritage language, with an estimated 400,000 speakers. English
9996-435: The East London boroughs. The early immigrants lived and worked mainly in cramped basements and attics within the Tower Hamlets area. The men were often illiterate, poorly educated, and spoke little English, so they could not interact well with the English-speaking population and could not enter higher education. Some became targets for businessmen, who sold their properties to Sylhetis, even though they had no legal claim to
10143-422: The Emperor of China as a tribute to China-Bengal relations. The Chinese Muslim admiral Zheng He visited Bengal as an envoy of the Emperor of China. Bengali ships transported the embassies of Sumatra , Brunei and Malacca to the port of Canton . China and the Timurid ruler of Herat mediated an end to the Bengal Sultanate-Jaunpur Sultanate War . The Sultan of Bengal also acknowledged the nominal authority of
10290-424: The Jamme Masjid. The period also however saw a rise in the number of attacks on Bangladeshis in the area, in a reprise of the racial tensions of the 1930s, when Oswald Mosley's Blackshirts had marched against the Jewish communities. In nearby Bethnal Green the anti-immigrant National Front became active, distributing leaflets on the streets and holding meetings. White youths known as "skinheads" appeared in
10437-414: The Persian model of statecraft. Muslims from other parts of the world were imported for military, bureaucratic and household services. These immigrants included Turks from upper India who were originally recruited in Central Asia; as well as Abyssinians imported via East Africa into the Bengali port of Chittagong. A highly commercialized and monetized economy evolved. Islamic architecture was introduced on
10584-1138: The UK and their performance has improved at a more rapid rate than other ethnic groups in recent years at almost every key stage of education. Almost half of young Bangladeshi people from the poorest quintile go to university. However, this is not reflected or translating in labour market outcomes because although young people from Bangladeshi backgrounds are more likely to "succeed in education and go to university," they are less likely to go on to "find employment or secure jobs in managerial or professional occupations." The report also found that female Bangladeshi graduations are less likely to gain managerial and professional roles than male Bangladeshis graduates, despite achieving at school. British Bangladeshi women earn less than other ethnic minority groups. Ofsted reports from secondary schools have shown that many Bangladeshi pupils are making significant progress, compared with other ethnic minority groups. Girls are more likely to do better in education than boys; 55% of girls are achieving 5 or more A*-C at GCSE, compared to 41% boys, as of 2004. The overall achievement rate for Bangladeshi pupils
10731-499: The UK as lascars on ships to work in restaurants. The first educated South Asian to travel to Europe and live in Britain was I'tisam-ud-Din , a Bengali Muslim cleric, Munshi and diplomat to the Mughal Empire who arrived in 1765 with his servant Muhammad Muqim during the reign of King George III . He wrote of his experiences and travels in his Persian book, Shigurf-nama-i-Wilayat (or 'Wonder Book of Europe'). This
10878-432: The UK have a nearly 49 per cent higher chance on average of a university education than white British pupils. Until 1998, Tower Hamlets, where the concentration of British Bangladeshis is greatest was the worst performing local authority in England. Until 2009, Bangladeshis in England performed worse than the national average. In 2015, 62 per cent of British Bangladeshis got five good GCSEs, including English and Maths which
11025-430: The UK when Italian manufacturing jobs went into decline. British Bangladeshis are overwhelmingly Muslim , with the largest number of followers of a single religion among any ethnic group in the UK (along with Pakistanis), though there are small minorities who adhere to other religions or identify as irreligious. In London, Bangladeshi Muslims make up 22.4% of all London Muslims, more than any other single ethnic group in
11172-399: The UK within the British culture. However this exposure has created a division between preferences for arranged marriages or for love marriages . Tradition holds that the bride's family must buy the bridegroom's family a set of new furniture to be housed in the family home, with all original furniture given away or discarded. The average Bangladeshi outlay for a wedding is £30–60,000 for
11319-463: The UK's largest group of people of overseas descent and are also one of the country's youngest and fastest growing communities. The 2021 United Kingdom census recorded over 652,500 Bangladeshis residing in the United Kingdom, with just under half of the population residing in Greater London . Bengalis have been present in Britain as early as the 19th century. One of the earliest records of
11466-590: The United Kingdom, through immigration and historical naturalisation. The term can also refer to their descendants. Bengali Muslims have prominently been migrating to the UK since World War II. Migration reached its peak during the 1970s, with most originating from the Sylhet Division . The largest concentration live in east London boroughs, such as Tower Hamlets . This large diaspora in London leads people in Sylhet to refer to British Bangladeshis as Londoni ( Bengali : লন্ডনী ). Bangladeshis form one of
11613-574: The United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Pakistan . The first Bengali Muslim settlers in the United States were ship jumpers who settled in Harlem , New York and Baltimore , Maryland in the 1920s and 1930s. Surnames in Bengali Muslim society reflect the region's cosmopolitan history. They are mainly of Arabic and Persian origin, with a minority of Bengali surnames. Zainul Abedin, who's better known as Shilpacharya (Master of Art)
11760-473: The age of 15 and another 12% were aged 16–17. The majority of the victims were likely in the 18-21 age group and the proportion of males were higher for Bangladeshis than other groups. However, Pakistan has the highest number of cases of forced marriage. British Bangladeshis consume traditional Bangladeshi food, in particular rice with curry. Many traditional Bengali dishes are served with rice, including chicken, lentil (dahl), and fish. Another popular food
11907-470: The ancient cloth-making techniques of Bengal with the muslins produced by Bengali Muslims of Dhaka since the 14th century. Jamdani is the most expensive product of traditional Bengali looms since it requires the most lengthy and dedicated work. The traditional art of weaving jamdani was declared a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013 and Bangladesh received geographical indication (GI) status for Jamdani Sari in 2016. Sheikh Zainuddin
12054-695: The arrival of Bakhtiyar Khalji of the Delhi Sultanate in the early 1200s and the later agrarian reforms of the Mughal Empire in the 1500s. Centuries prior to the advent of Islam into the region, Bengal was a major center of Buddhism on the Indian Subcontinent. The area was under the rule of the Buddhist Pala Empire for several centuries until its collapse and subsequent conquest by the Hindu Sena Empire in
12201-505: The buildings. By the late 1970s, the Brick Lane area had become predominantly Bengali, replacing the former Jewish community which had declined. Jews migrated to outlying suburbs of London, as they integrated with the majority British population. Jewish bakeries were turned into curry houses, jewellery shops became sari stores, and synagogues became dress factories. The synagogue at the corner of Fournier Street and Brick Lane became
12348-629: The capital. Majority are Sunni with the largest affiliations include Deobandi or Tablighi Jamaat , the Jamaat-e-Islami movement, and the Sufi Fuloti movement founded by Saheb Qiblah Fultali . The Hizb ut-Tahrir , and the Salafi movement also have a small following. A majority of older women wear the burqa , and young women are wearing the niqab , whereas in Bangladesh, comparatively few women do so; this has been described as
12495-664: The city as part of the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless initiative. It was also created because Sylhet is the area of origin for the largest ethnic minority group in St Albans. In April 2001, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets council officially renamed the 'Spitalfields' electoral ward Spitalfields and Banglatown . Surrounding streets were redecorated, with lamp posts painted in green and red,
12642-487: The college curriculum, including Persian, Sanskrit, mathematics, history and algebra. All towns became connected by an inter-district road network. The population of the capital city Dacca rose by 21% between 1906 and 1911. An important moment in the history of Bengali self-determination was the Lahore Resolution in 1940, which was promoted by politician A. K. Fazlul Huq . The resolution initially called for
12789-460: The colours of the Bangladeshi flag . By this stage the majority living in the ward were of Bangladeshi origin—nearly 60% of the population. Year of arrival (2021 census, England and Wales) Bangladeshis in the UK are largely a young population, heavily concentrated in London's inner boroughs. In the 2011 Census 451,529 UK residents specified their ethnicity as Bangladeshi, forming 0.7% of
12936-417: The community as most favoured standard Bengali to be taught in " mother tongue " classes. However, in 2017, British schools recognised Sylheti as one of the native languages spoken by students. BBC News has also broadcast online videos relating to COVID-19 in five major South Asian languages which included Sylheti. Despite Sylheti being primarily a spoken language, some linguists are attempting to revive
13083-412: The community, most prominent of these include Potrika , Janomot , Surma News Group and Bangla Post . The first international film based on a story about British Bangladeshis was Brick Lane (2007), based on the novel by author Monica Ali , her book is about a woman who moves to London from rural Bangladesh, with her husband, wedded in an arranged marriage . The film was critically acclaimed and
13230-494: The constitution and replaced it with "a commitment to the values of Islam." In 2010, the Bangladesh Supreme Court reaffirmed secular principles in the constitution. Historical Islamic kingdoms that existed in Bengal employed several clever technologies in numerous areas such as architecture, agriculture, civil engineering, water management, etc. The creation of canals and reservoirs was a common practice for
13377-438: The construction of Islamic seminaries as far as Mecca and Madina in the Middle East. The people of Arabia came to know these institutions as al-Madaris al-Bangaliyyah ( Bengali madrasas ). The Bengal Sultanate was a melting pot of Muslim political, mercantile and military elites. During the 14th century, Islamic kingdoms stretched from Muslim Spain in the west to Bengal in the east. Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta 's diary
13524-549: The creation of a sovereign state in the "Eastern Zone" of British India . However, its text was later changed by the top leadership of the Muslim League . The Prime Minister of Bengal Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy proposed an independent, undivided, sovereign "Free State of Bengal" in 1947. Despite calls from liberal Bengali Muslim League leaders for an independent United Bengal , the British government moved forward with
13671-537: The cultural development of the region. The Muslim population in Bengal further rose with the agricultural and administrative reforms during the Mughal period, particularly in eastern Bengal. Today, most Bengali Muslims live in the modern country of Bangladesh, the world's fourth largest Muslim-majority country, along with the Indian states of West Bengal and Assam. The majority of Bengali Muslims are Sunnis who follow
13818-623: The day. As of 2009, the Mela was organised by the Tower Hamlets council, attracting 95,000 people, featuring with popular artists such as Momtaz Begum , Nukul Kumar Bishwash, Mumzy Stranger and many others. The Nowka Bais is a traditional boat racing competition. It was first brought to the United Kingdom in 2007 to commemorate the 1000th birthday of Oxfordshire . It has gained recognition and support from Queen Elizabeth II and others. Since 2015, it has been hosted in Birmingham , where it
13965-441: The employment rate of Bangladeshis has improved and the proportion of women in work has risen by one-third in the last five years, it is still weaker than educational performance. Nine per cent of working age Bangladeshis are unemployed which is almost twice the national average. In Tower Hamlets, an estimated one-third of young Bangladeshis are unemployed, one of the highest such rates in the country. In December 2016, according to
14112-467: The evening, young people will often spend the remaining time socialising with friends. Some, however, will go " cruising " – travelling across cities in expensive hired cars, playing loud music and sometimes waving the Bangladesh flag. Sociologists suggest these British Bangladeshi boys and girls have reinterpreted the older, more traditional practice of their faith and culture. One of the largest Eid congregations are held by Bengalis in London, in places like
14259-621: The fertile Ganges plain. The lead to greater concentrations of people in the area with more opportunities for Sufi missionaries to preach Islam. According to historian Richard M. Eaton, Islam became the religion of the plough in the Bengal delta . Islam's emergence in the region was intimately tied with agriculture. The delta was the most fertile region in the empire. Mughal development projects cleared forests and established thousands of Sufi-led villages, which became industrious farming and craftsmanship communities. The projects were most evident in
14406-494: The group of lascars would be in harmony. According to lascars Moklis Miah and Mothosir Ali, up to forty lascars from the same village would be in the same ship. Shah Abdul Majid Qureshi claimed to be the first Sylheti to own a restaurant in the country. It was called Dilkush and was located in Soho . Another one of his restaurants, known as India Centre , alongside early Sylheti migrant Ayub Ali Master 's Shah Jalal cafe, became
14553-576: The highest concentration was in Cardiff at 1.90% and in Scotland, the highest proportion was in Edinburgh at 0.52%. Northern Ireland's census did not provide data on the proportion of Bangladeshis by local government district. The largest populations outside London are in Birmingham , where there were 48,232 Bangladeshis in 2021 (4.21% of the population), Oldham with 21,754 (8.99%), and Luton with
14700-462: The highest overall relative poverty rate of any ethnic group in the UK . The Economist has argued that the lack of a second income in households was "the main reason" why many Bangladeshi families live below the poverty line and the resulting high proportion reliant on welfare payments from the government. According to research by Yaojun Li from the University of Manchester in 2016, while
14847-493: The highest rates of people with disabilities, and were more likely to smoke than any other ethnic group, at a rate of 44% in 1999 in England. Smoking was very common amongst the men, but very few women smoked, perhaps due to cultural customs. Research suggests that British Bangladeshis need intervention to prevent diabetes at a body mass index (BMI) of 21, which is lower than the otherwise recommended threshold. The average number of people living in each Bangladeshi household
14994-576: The history of British Bangladeshis and Bangladeshi emigration to the United Kingdom from the 1960s onwards, hosted by Dr Aminul Hoque . Religious Muslim festivals are celebrated by the community each year including Eid al-Adha and Eid ul-Fitr . Muslims dress for the occasion in traditionally Bangladeshi style clothing. Children are given clothing or money. Eid prayers are attended by large numbers of men. Relatives, friends, and neighbours visit and exchange Bengali food and sweets such as Shemai , Handesh , Nunbora , Chotpoti , Pulao, Biryani, etc. In
15141-478: The independence of East Pakistan (historic East Bengal ) as Bangladesh in 1971 . A Bengali is a person of ethnic and linguistic heritage from the Bengal region in South Asia speaking the Indo-Aryan Bengali language . Islam arrived in the first millennium and influenced the native Bengali culture . The influx of Persian, Turkic, Arab and Mughal settlers contributed further diversity to
15288-607: The language. Although many Sylheti speakers find this learning progress difficult in the UK. Bengali is offered as a subject in GCSE and A-Level qualifications, with 437 and 17 entries respectively, as of 2024. Language Movement Day , or Language Martyrs' Day (Shôhid Dibôs), commemorates the Bengali language martyrs and is also observed in the UK. A Shaheed Minar was erected in Altab Ali Park , Tower Hamlets, in 1999, with
15435-402: The largely disaffected Buddhist East Bengal versus the largely Hindu regions of West Bengal. A few centuries later the agrarian reforms of the Mughal Empire accelerated conversion and population growth across Bangladesh by creating a system of farming villages centered around Sufi missions. The Mughals granted landless peasants land around these missions in order to accelerate development of
15582-501: The late 19th century, when the first census was conducted on Bengal region in the year of (1872), it was found that the number of Hindus are at (18m) and Muslims at (17.5m) were almost the same. According to the 1872 Census, only 1.52% or say 2.66 lakhs of the Bengali Muslim population claimed foreign ancestry. Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah was born as Jadu, the son of Hindu King Raja Ganesha . He later ruled most of Bengal as
15729-531: The latter withdrew from the Indian Ocean in the mid-15th-century. Bengali port cities like Chittagong and Satgaon were possibly entrepots for importing and re-exporting goods to China. The Mughal Empire eventually controlled the region under its Bengal Subah viceregal province. The Mughal Emperors considered Bengal their most prized province. Emperor Akbar redeveloped the Bengali calendar . In
15876-537: The leadership of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan the promotion the English language among Muslims of India also influenced Bengali Muslim society. Social and cultural leaders among Bengali Muslims during this period included Munshi Mohammad Meherullah , who countered Christian missionaries, writers Ismail Hossain Siraji and Mir Mosharraf Hossain ; and feminists Nawab Faizunnesa and Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain . A precursor to
16023-570: The lowest mean family net wealth per adult at £88,000. Significant Bengali events or celebrations are celebrated by the community annually. The Baishakhi Mela is a celebration of the Bengali New Year , celebrated by the Bengali community every year. Held each April–May since 1997 in London's Banglatown, it is the largest Asian open-air event in Europe, and the largest Bengali festival outside Bangladesh. In Bangladesh and West Bengal it
16170-401: The majority of Bangladesh 's citizens, and are the largest minority in the Indian states of West Bengal , Tripura and Assam . They speak or identify the Bengali language as their mother tongue . The majority of Bengali Muslims are Sunnis who follow the Hanafi school of jurisprudence. The Bengal region was a supreme power of the medieval Islamic East. European traders identified
16317-666: The middle class, and the intelligentsia . Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin , Mohammad Ali of Bogra , and H. S. Suhrawardy , all of whom were Bengali Muslims, each served as Pakistan's prime minister during the 1950s; however, all three were deposed by the military-industrial complex in West Pakistan. The Bengali Language Movement in 1952 received strong support from Islamic groups, including the Tamaddun Majlish . Bengali nationalism increased in East Pakistan during
16464-686: The model of Bengali tanka for 300 years, even after the dissolution of the Bengal Sultanate. A total of 16 Arakanese kings used Muslim titles. Arakan forcefully deported thousands of Bengali Muslims and Hindus during its invasions and collusion with the Portuguese. Deportees included the poet Alaol . As a result, the Bengali minority in Arakan developed a distinct Arakanese identity and became influential elites in Arakanese society. Arakanese Muslims, known today as Rohingya people , trace their ancestry to
16611-558: The modern state of Bangladesh was the province of Eastern Bengal and Assam in British India . The province was created on 16 October 1905 by the Viceroy of India Lord Curzon . The province covered present-day Bangladesh, northeastern India and a part of West Bengal. It had a Bengali Muslim majority. Dacca , the former Mughal capital of Bengal, was declared by the British as the capital of Eastern Bengal and Assam. The province
16758-510: The most likely ethnicity to be in receipt of the disability living allowance (in both the care component and the mobility component), child benefit, child tax credit, pension credit, working tax credit, housing benefit, and the most likely Asian ethnicity to reside in social housing. Since 2008, British Bangladeshis have consistently been the most likely ethnicity group to live in households classified as low income (after housing costs) at 63% in 2008 falling to 55% in 2020. British Bangladeshis have
16905-601: The national average for academic performance at A-Level , but above the national average for GCSE level. 16.5% of British Bangladeshi pupils achieved at least 3 As at A Level and an average score of 54.4 was achieved in Attainment 8 scoring at GCSE level. In an article published in The Economist in November 2022, the improved GCSE results for Bangladeshi students were highlighted with no other ethnic group seeing
17052-425: The novel was an award-winning best seller. The film however caused some controversy within the community. Other films created in the community are mainly based on the struggles which British Bangladeshis face such as drugs and presenting a culture clash. These dramas include Shopner Desh (2006) – a story related to the culture clashes. In 2020, BBC Four released an episode of A Very British History focusing on
17199-586: The period during which Islamization is believed to have occurred. There are numerous theories about how Islam spread in region; however, the overwhelming evidence is strongly suggestive of a gradual transition of the local population from Buddhism, Hinduism and other indigenous religions to Islam starting in the thirteenth century facilitated by Sufi missionaries (such as Shah Jalal in Sylhet for example) and later by Mughal agricultural reforms centered around Sufi missions The factors facilitating conversion to Islam from Buddhism, Hinduism and indigenous religions, again
17346-621: The period of Bengali influence in Arakan. The Bengal Sultanate also counted Tripura as a vassal state. Bengal restored the throne of Tripura by helping Ratna Manikya I to assume the throne. The Bengal Sultanate controlled Odisha at various points since the reign of Ilyas Shah . During the reign of Alauddin Hussain Shah , Bengal became an expanding regional empire. Under Hussain Shah, Bengali territory covered Arakan, Assam, Tripura, Orissa, Bihar and Jaunpur. Hussain Shah minted coins with
17493-408: The population, those with social rented tenure is 48%, the largest of which in Tower Hamlets (82%) and Camden (81%). The 2021 United Kingdom census for England and Wales showed marginal improvement in ownership although Bangladeshis remained as one of the ethnicities with the lowest rates of outright home ownership, at only 9%. A further 30% owned their home with a mortgage, 27% privately rented and
17640-581: The pre-state years, the 1950s and 1960s, Bengali men immigrated to London in search of employment. Most settled in Tower Hamlets, particularly around Spitalfields and Brick Lane . In 1971, Bangladesh (until then known as " East Pakistan ") fought for its independence from West Pakistan in what was known as the Bangladesh Liberation War . In the region of Sylhet, this led some to join the Mukti Bahini , or Liberation Army. In
17787-569: The presence of Muslims in the area around the lifetime of Muhammad . Starting in the 9th century, Muslim merchants increased trade with Bengali seaports. Islam first appeared in Bengal during Pala rule, as a result of increased trade between Bengal and the Arab Abbasid Caliphate . Coins of the Abbasid Caliphate have been discovered in many parts of the region. The people of Samatata , in southeastern Bengal, during
17934-732: The presence of a large number of wealthy Bengali merchants and shipowners in Malacca. The trade between Bengal and the Maldives , based on rice and cowry shells , was probably done on Arab-style baghlah ships. The Chinese Muslim envoy Ma Huan wrote about a flourishing shipbuilding industry and Bengal's significant seaborne trade. The muslin trade in Bengal , the production of silk and the development of several other crafts were indicated in Ma Huan's list of items exported from Bengal to China. Bengali shipping co-existed with Chinese shipping until
18081-399: The present-day Rajshahi Division in northern Bengal, preaching to the communities there. A community of 13 Muslim families headed by Burhanuddin also existed in the northeastern Hindu city of Srihatta (Sylhet) , claiming their descendants to have arrived from Chittagong . By 1303, hundreds of Sufi preachers led by Shah Jalal aided the Muslim rulers in Bengal to conquer Sylhet , turning
18228-578: The proclamation "conqueror of Kamrupa, Kamata, Jajnagar and Orissa". The Pratapgarh Kingdom came under Bengali suzerainty . The island of Chandradwip was annexed by the Hussain Shahi dynasty. In 1498, the Hussain Shahi dynasty dispatched an army under Shah Ismail Ghazi to conquer the Kamata Kingdom . The Bengal forces overthrew the Khen dynasty . Bengali control of Assam extended into
18375-437: The purchase of cows for sacrifice and distribution there. Bengali Muslim Bengali Muslims ( Bengali : বাঙালি মুসলমান ; pronounced [baŋali musɔlman] ) are adherents of Islam who ethnically, linguistically and genealogically identify as Bengalis . Comprising about two-thirds of the global Bengali population, they are the second-largest ethnic group among Muslims after Arabs . Bengali Muslims make up
18522-741: The reframing of Buddhist figures as Hindu avatars and the reincorporation of resistant Buddhist subjects into lower castes in society. As the Pala Empire's base of power was in Northern and Eastern Bengal, it is likely that these were areas with large Buddhist majorities which were likely heavily subjugated the Sena Empire. A few decades following the Sena Conquest of the region, the Sena, themselves, were conquered by Bakhtiyar Khalji opening up
18669-590: The region to a greater influx of Sufi missionaries. This hypothesis would explain why the Islam spread faster in East Bengal than West Bengal. Essentially, East Bengal had a large Buddhist population compared to West Bengal. The conquest of the area by Hindu kingdoms lead to the subjugation of Buddhists in the region. With the Turkic conquest, came the arrival of Sufi missionaries who were more successful at converting
18816-539: The region's Muslim society of what they deemed "un-Islamic practices". They were successful in galvanising the Bengali peasantry against the EIC. However, the movement experienced a crackdown after the suppression of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and lost impetus after the death of Haji Shariatullah's son Dudu Miyan . After 1870, Muslims began a seeking British-style education in increasingly larger numbers. Under
18963-607: The remaining 34% of the Bangladeshi population lived in social housing – the only major Asian ethnicity to be more likely than the White British population to live in social housing. British Bangladeshis are around three times more likely to be in poverty compared to their white counterparts, according to a 2015 report entitled 'Ethnic Inequalities' by the Centre for Social Investigation (CSI) at Nuffield College at University of Oxford . The research found that poverty rate
19110-485: The rest in many other sectors of employment. In 2021, Bangladeshis were the most likely ethnic group to be economically inactive with 35% of 16 to 64-year-olds out of work and not looking for employment, rising to 51% for Bangladeshi women compared to 24% of White British women. In 2021, 58% of Bangladeshi 16 to 64-year-olds were employed, compared to 78% of British Indians, 76% of White British, and 67% of Black Britons. The employment rate for Bangladeshi 16 to 24-year-olds
19257-517: The same level of improvement in the past two decade span. A survey in the 1990s on the visible communities in Britain by the Policy Studies Institute concluded that British Bangladeshis continue to be among the most severely disadvantaged. Bangladeshis had the highest rates of illness in the UK, in 2001. Bangladeshi men were three times as likely to visit their doctor as men in the general population. Bangladeshis also had
19404-493: The sultanate. New methods of irrigation were pioneered by the Sufis. Bengali mosque architecture featured terracotta, stone, wood and bamboo, with curved roofs, corner towers and multiple domes. During the Bengal Sultanate, a distinct regional style flourished which featured no minarets, but had richly designed mihrabs and minbars as niches. Islamic Bengal had a long history of textile weaving, including export of muslin during
19551-584: The total population. In the 2021 census , there were a total of 652,535 Bangladeshis in the United Kingdom, forming just under 1% of the total population. Nearly half of the population live in London, with a heavy concentration mainly in East London boroughs. London's Bangladeshi population in 2021 was 322,054, the highest concentrations were found in Tower Hamlets (34.59% of total borough population), Newham (15.86%), Redbridge (10.28%), Barking and Dagenham (10.23%) and Camden (6.83%). In Wales,
19698-590: The town into Jalal's headquarters for religious activities. Following the conquest, Jalal disseminated his followers across different parts of Bengal to spread Islam, and became a household name among Bengali Muslims. The establishment of a single united Bengal Sultanate in 1352 by Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah finally gave rise to a "Bengali" socio-linguistic identity. The Ilyas Shahi dynasty acknowledged Muslim scholarship , and this transcended ethnic background. Usman Serajuddin , also known as Akhi Siraj Bengali ,
19845-772: The world, helping design the world's tallest buildings. Another Bengali Muslim German-American, Jawed Karim , was the co-founder of YouTube. In 2016, the modernist Bait-ur-Rouf Mosque, inspired by the Bengal Sultanate-style of buildings, won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture . Bengali Muslims constitute the world's second-largest Muslim ethnicity (after the Arab world) and the largest Muslim community in South Asia. An estimated 152 million Bengali Muslims live in Bangladesh as of 2021, where Islam
19992-612: Was annexed by the East India Company (EIC) in 1757. In the following decades, Bengalis led numerous revolts against Company rule . In the early 19th century, Titumir led a peasant uprising against the East India Company. Meanwhile, the Bengali Muslim Haji Shariatullah led the Faraizi movement , which advocated Islamic revivalism . The Faraizis sought to create a caliphate and cleanse
20139-499: Was 37%, compared to 56% of White British and 31% of Black Britons. The average hourly pay for British Bangladeshis in the same year was the lowest out of all ethnicity groups at £12.03, alongside British Pakistanis. According to aggregated Department for Work and Pensions data between 2018 and 2021, 24% of Bangladeshi families were in receipt of income-related benefits , compared to 16% of White British families and 8% of British Chinese and Indian families. Bangladeshi families were also
20286-448: Was 48%, compared with 53% for all UK pupils, in 2004. By 2013, the British Bangladeshi achievement rate (5 or more A*-C at GCSE) had increased considerably to 61%, compared to 56% for White British students and 51% for British Pakistani students. It was reported in 2014, there were a total of 60,699 graduates of Bangladeshi descent. In November 2015, an Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) report said that Bangladeshi children living in
20433-463: Was a native of Gaur in western Bengal and became the Sultanate's court scholar during Ilyas Shah's reign. Alongside Persian and Arabic, the sovereign Sunni Muslim nation-state also enabled the language of the Bengali people to gain patronage and support, contrary to previous states which exclusively favoured Sanskrit , Pali and Persian . The converted Sultan Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah funded
20580-413: Was a prominent Bengali Muslim artist in the 18th century during the colonial period. His works were inspired by the style of Mughal courts. An indigenous style of Islamic architecture flourished in Bengal during the medieval Sultanate period. Traditional Bengali Islamic architecture includes elements like brick, floral terracotta and stone craftsmanship. Mosques with multiple domes are proliferated in
20727-435: Was a prominent painter. His famine sketches of the 1940s are his most remarkable works of all time. The unique trend of rickshaw art started from major cities of Bangladesh like Rajshahi and Dhaka and took its own style in each district. Chittagong being a more pious city than Dhaka mostly had floral or scenery art whereas Cumilla has plain rickshaws with beautiful blue and green hoods, on which are sewn an appliqué of
20874-515: Was acknowledged by Hafez . The Dobhashi tradition saw Bengali transliteration of Arabic and Persian words in Bengali texts to illustrate Islamic epics and stories. During the independent sultanate period, Bengal forged strong diplomatic relations with empires outside the subcontinent. The most notable of these relationships was with Ming China and its emperor Yongle . At least a dozen embassies were exchanged between China and Bengal. The Sultan of Bengal even gifted an East African giraffe to
21021-594: Was established through the first partition of Bengal . The British government cited administrative reasons for the creation of the new province. It promised increased investment in education and the economy of the new province. The partition galvanized Muslim nationalism in South Asia and led to the formation of the All India Muslim League in Dacca in 1906. It also stoked anti-Muslim sentiment and anti-British sentiment among Hindus. Growing opposition from
21168-522: Was ruled by five dynastic periods, with each period have a particular ethnic identity. The Ilyas Shahi dynasty was of Turkic origins. It was replaced by the Bengali-origin dynasty of Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah and Shamsuddin Ahmad Shah for a few decades before being restored. In the 1490s, a series of Abyssinian generals took turns in becoming the Sultan of Bengal. They were succeeded by
21315-409: Was shifted to New Delhi; while Calcutta became the capital of a reunited, albeit smaller, Bengal province. Assam was made a separate province. Orissa and Bihar were also separated from Bengal. As a compensation for Dacca, the British government established a university for the city in 1921. During the short lifespan of the province, school enrollment increased by 20%. New subjects were introduced into
21462-634: Was the most volatile neighbor of the Bengal Sultanate. In 1428, the forces of Bengal restored Min Saw Mun as the king of Arakan after he fled to the court of Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah. According to traditional Arakanese history, Arakan became a tributary state of Bengal and its kings adopted Muslim titles to fashion themselves after Bengali Sultans. Arakan later shrugged off Bengali hegemony and restored full independence. It later invaded southeastern Bengal several times, sometimes with success and sometimes unsuccessfully. Arakan continued to mint its coins following
21609-435: Was the trigger for the first significant political organisation against racism by local Bangladeshis. The identification and association of British Bangladeshis with Tower Hamlets owes much to this campaign. A park has been named after Altab Ali at the street where he was murdered. In 1993, racial violence was incited by the anti-immigration British National Party (BNP); several Bangladeshi students were severely injured, but
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