Young Muslim Organisation ( YMO ) is an Islamic youth-oriented initiative based in England .
128-981: It was established mainly by the British Bangladeshi youths in East London during the period of racial attacks in Tower Hamlets in 1978. The group first met in London in October 1978 to bring together what its website describes as "a dynamic band of youth who would respond to the challenges faced by their community with deep faith, true commitment and a positive and comprehensive work plan". Its dawah work includes School Link Project (SLP), College Link Project (CLP) and University Link Project (ULP) which organise activities such as lectures, seminars, awards ceremonies, camps, and sports activities. Authors such as Brian Belton and Sadick Hamid describe
256-565: 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
384-555: 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
512-589: 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
640-682: 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
768-494: 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
896-573: 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
1024-610: 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
1152-662: 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
1280-778: 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
1408-506: A lascar named Ram Dass. Also, Caleb Carr portrays two lascars as bodyguards for a Spanish diplomat near the end of The Angel of Darkness . In other works of Joseph Conrad , native seamen are frequently referred to by the Urdu term "serang" which appears to share the definition of lascar. In Wuthering Heights , it is speculated that Heathcliff , the main character, may be of lascar origin. Amitav Ghosh 's book Sea of Poppies portrays
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#17327878298151536-558: A letter writer in The Public Advertiser wrote of "miserable objects, lascars, that I see shivering and starving in the streets". During the 1780s it was not uncommon to see lascars starving on the streets of London. The East India Company responded to criticism of the lascars' treatment by making available lodgings for them, but no checks were kept on the boarding houses and barracks they provided. The lascars were made to live in cramped, dreadful conditions which resulted in
1664-522: 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
1792-662: 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
1920-608: 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
2048-562: A repatriation centre where various sailors were recruited for ships returning East. It was also used as a missionary centre with Joseph Salter of the London City Mission as its missionary. Among the things provided by the home were a library of Christian books in Asian and African languages, a store room for valuables, and a place where lascars could send their earnings back to India. Lascars were allowed entrance as long as they had
2176-568: 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
2304-425: A serang (equivalent to the boatswain in the deck department), assisted by one or more tindals (equivalent to boatswain's mates in the deck department). Other senior deck positions included seacunny ( quartermaster ), mistree ( carpenter , although a European carpenter was often carried), and kussab or cassab ( lamp trimmer ). An apprentice in either department was known as a topas or topaz. The senior lascar steward
2432-480: 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
2560-581: 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,
2688-611: A small number of " mixed race " children being born in the country. Ethnic minority women in Britain were often outnumbered by "half-caste Indian" daughters born from white mothers and Indian fathers. The most famous of these mixed-race children was Albert Mahomet , born with a lascar father and English mother. He went on to write a book about his life called From Street Arab to Pastor. Lascars commonly suffered from poverty in Britain. In 1782, East India Company records describe lascars coming to their Leadenhall Street offices ‘reduced to great distress and applying to us for relief’. In 1785
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#17327878298152816-420: 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
2944-478: 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
3072-529: 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
3200-644: 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
3328-730: 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
3456-559: 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
3584-442: 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
3712-654: 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
3840-690: Is now Kenya ) to steer the Portuguese ship across the Indian Ocean to the Malabar Coast in southwestern India. Portuguese ships continued to employ lascars from the Indian subcontinent in large numbers throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, mainly from Goa and other Portuguese colonies in India . The Portuguese applied the term "lascar" to all sailors on their ships who were originally from
3968-642: Is one of the first references to the British use of Indo-Portuguese servicemen and one of the first major actions involving the EIC's Bombay Marine . Lascars also served with Arthur Wellesley on his campaigns in India during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1786, the Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor was originally set up to assist lascars in London . However, in a report made after one month of
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4096-432: 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
4224-544: Is signed by a Mercantile Marine Superintendent, dated 18 August 1919. This book and its certificate were ignored, and my husband was registered as an Alien. Would you kindly inform me if it is correct that the Mercantile Marine Book should have been ignored as documentary proof?" Police eager to deport ''coloured'' seamen would often (and illegally) register seamen as aliens regardless of correct documentation. The transitory presence of lascars continued into
4352-623: 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
4480-774: The Empress of Asia and Empress of Japan . These ships served in the Indian Ocean both as ANZAC convoy ships and in actions at Aden . The ships were placed under the British Admiralty all of the Indian men were awarded medals by the Admiralty, though none of them were delivered. In the 1950s the use of the term "lascar" declined with the ending of the British Empire. The Indian “Lascar Act” of 1832
4608-566: 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
4736-682: The Committee Report on Lascars and other Asiatic Seamen introduced requirements for equipping lascar workers, that they be provided with "a bed, a pillow, two jackets and trousers, shoes and two woollen caps." Lascars served all over the world in the period leading up to the First World War . Lascars were barred from landing at some ports, such as in British Columbia . At the beginning of World War I, there were 51,616 lascars working on British merchant ships in and around
4864-670: 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
4992-517: 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
5120-462: 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
5248-624: The 18th and 19th centuries, when the British East India Company began recruiting thousands of lascars (mostly Bengali Muslims , but also Konkani -speaking Christians from the northern part of Portuguese Goa and Muslims from Ratnagiri District in the adjacent Maharashtra ) to work on British ships and occasionally in ports around the world. Despite prejudice and a language barrier, some lascars settled in British port cities, often escaping ill-treatment on their ships as well or being unable to leave due to restrictions such as
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5376-637: The 1930s, with the Port of London Authority mentioning lascars in a February 1931 article, writing that: "Although appearing so out of place in the East End, they are well able to look after themselves, being regular seamen who came to the Docks time after time and have learnt a little English and know how to buy what they want." In 1932, the Indian National Congress survey of "all Indians outside India" estimated that there were 7,128 Indians in
5504-643: 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
5632-591: 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
5760-573: 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
5888-579: 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,
6016-438: 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 ,
6144-408: The British East India Company and their use of lascar crews. Shahida Rahman 's Lascar (2012) is the story of an East Indian lascar's journey to Victorian England. In the H. P. Lovecraft short story The Call of Cthulhu , Gustaf Johansen, the last living seaman of an expedition to Cthulhu's sunken city R'lyeh , is assassinated (probably with poison needles) by two "lascar sailors" belonging to
6272-634: The British Empire. In World War II thousands of lascars served in the war and died on vessels throughout the world, especially those of the British India Steam Navigation Company , P&O and other British shipping companies. The lack of manpower led to the employment of a total of 121 Catholic Goans and 530 Muslim British Indians on the Empress vessels of the Canadian Pacific Railway , such as
6400-631: 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
6528-846: The East India Company (EIC) recruited lascars to replace vacancies in their crews on East Indiamen whilst on voyages in India. Initially, these were men from the Indo-Portuguese or Luso-Asian communities of the subcontinent, including men from Bombay, Goa, Cochin, Madras and the Hugli River in Bengal. Between 1600 and 1857, some 20-40,000 Indians had travelled to Britain, the majority of them being seamen working on ships. Most Indians during this period would visit or reside in Britain temporarily, returning to India after months or several years, bringing back knowledge about Britain in
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#17327878298156656-483: 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
6784-435: 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
6912-491: The Indian presence in London during the 19th century mainly constituted male lascars and sailors, some women were included. In the Limehouse and Shadwell areas of London, many lascars formed communities in the Oriental Quarter, areas where they could form connections and retain degrees of fellowship. Conditions in the quarter, however, were no better than that of the streets. Joseph Salter, a Christian missionary known for his work with lascars, once stated that “We are now fairly in
7040-469: The Indies, which they defined as the areas east of the Cape of Good Hope. Through the Portuguese and Spanish maritime world empires, some Indian lascars found their way onto English merchant ships, and were among the sailors on the first English East India Company (EIC) ships to sail to India. Lascar crewmen from India are depicted on Japanese Namban screens of the sixteenth century. The Luso-Asians appear to have evolved their own pidgin Portuguese which
7168-424: 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
7296-749: The Navigation Acts and abandonment by shipping masters. Shipowners would face penalties for leaving lascars behind. This measure was intended to discourage settlement of Asian sailors in Britain. Lascars in Britain often lived in Christian charity homes, boarding houses and barracks and sometimes cohabited with local women. The first and most frequent Indian travelers to Britain were Christian Indians and those of European-Asian mixed race. For Muslim Indians considerations about how their dietary and religious practices would alienate them from British society were brought into question but these considerations were often outweighed by economic opportunities. Those that stayed often took British names, dress and habits. Although
7424-420: The Oriental Quarter; there are several houses here devoted to Asiatics, presided over by Chinese, Malays, and Indians according to the country of the Asiatic seeking companionship, how shamelessness has its premium and admirers, and honestly truth and self-respect are trampled in the dust. Here disease and death decked in gaudy tinseled robes allure the victim to the grave.” Overcrowding in dilapidated accommodation
7552-399: The Portuguese name, calling them 'lascar'. The word lascar was also used to refer to Indian servants, typically engaged by British military officers. Indian seamen had been employed on European ships since the first European made the sea voyage to India. Vasco da Gama , the first European to reach India by sea (in 1498), hired an Indian pilot at Malindi (a coastal settlement in what
7680-406: The Secretary of State for the Home Department. It stated that "any coloured alien seaman who is not already registered should take steps to obtain a Certificate of Registration without delay." Any foreign seaman, regardless of whether they had been in Britain for several months, had to register with the police. In 1931, 383 Indians and Ceylonese were registered. A letter dated 7 September 1925, from
7808-1138: 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
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#17327878298157936-437: 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
8064-432: 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
8192-430: 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
8320-399: 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
8448-400: 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
8576-526: 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
8704-451: The United Kingdom, which included students, former lascars, and professionals such as doctors. The resident Indian population of Birmingham was recorded at 100. By 1945 it was 1,000. Surat Alley is a notable activist who fought for the rights of lascars within the Britain within the 1930s and 1940s. Lascars were on board late 18th-century and early 19th-century ships arriving on the Pacific coast of north-west North America. In most cases
8832-473: 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
8960-408: The beginning of World War I , there were 51,616 Indian lascars working on British ships, the majority of whom were of Bengali descent. Among them, it is estimated 8,000 Indians (some of whom would have been former lascars) lived in Britain permanently prior to the 1950s. Language barriers between officers and lascars made the use of translators very important. Very few worked on deck because of
9088-446: 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
9216-629: 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
9344-664: 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,
9472-460: 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
9600-663: The committee's existence, it was found that only 35 of the 250 recipients of aid were lascars. On Captain James Cook 's ill-fated second voyage to the Pacific, HMS Resolution , had lost so many men (including Cook) that she had to take on new crew in Asia to get back to England. In 1797 one group of lascars was shipwrecked off the coast off Tasmania on Preservation Island on a ship built in Calcutta. The Sydney Cove wreck
9728-417: 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
9856-412: 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
9984-623: 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
10112-581: The deaths of many each year, with reports of lascars being locked in cupboards and whipped for misbehaviour by landlords. Their poor treatment was reported on by the Society for the Protection of Asiatic Sailors (which was founded in 1814). A letter in The Times stated that "The lascars have been landed from the ship ... One of them has since died...the coffin being filled with food and money, under
10240-441: 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
10368-467: 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
10496-543: The evil Cult of Cthulhu . In D. W. Griffith 's 1919 silent film Broken Blossoms , the opium house in London that the protagonist goes to is described on the intertitle as "Chinese, Malays, lascars, where the Orient squats at the portals of the West". Ken Follett 's A Place Called Freedom mentions lascars in the second part of the novel. In the original version of Richard Connell 's short story The Most Dangerous Game ,
10624-508: The group as catering for and run by young people of Bangladeshi origin. It is a competitor to another Islamic youth work group, The Young Muslims UK . The two groups have minimal differences but the Young Muslim Organisation has a more conservative interpretation of sharia and Islamic jurisprudence . According to a former activist, Ed Husain , YMO was founded by supporters of Abul A'la Maududi and Hassan al-Banna , and its early members were encouraged to follow their works. Husain describes
10752-494: 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
10880-576: 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
11008-462: 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
11136-493: 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
11264-576: 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
11392-632: The idea that the food would maintain him till his arrival in the new other world... Some of the poor fellows have hitherto been shivering about the streets, wet and half-naked, exhibiting a picture of misery but little creditable to the English nation". In 1842, the Church Missionary Society reported on the dire ″state of the lascars in London″. In 1850 40 lascars, also known as ″Sons of India,″ were reported to have starved to death in
11520-576: The island of Hong Kong was initially a naval base there were Indian lascars of the East Indies Fleet arriving at Hong Kong in those early colonial days. Lascars were housed at several streets in the Sheung Wan area where there are two roads called Upper Lascar Row and Lower Lascar Row. These are not far from the barracks established in 1847 at Sai Ying Pun for Indian soldiers or sepoys . Lascars were on board early British voyages to
11648-417: The language barrier. Some Europeans managed to become proficient in the languages of their crew. Skilled captains such as John Adolphus Pope became adept linguists and were able to give complicated orders to their lascar crew. Often native bosses known as "serangs", as well as "tindals" who often assisted serangs, were the only men able to communicate directly with the captain and were the men who often spoke for
11776-607: 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
11904-422: The lascars became the first recorded Indians to sail to Alaska and Hawaii. These sailors served on British ships under "lascar agreements", which allowed shipowners more control than was the case in ordinary articles of agreement. The sailors could be transferred from one ship to another and retained in service for up to three years at one time. In both deck and engine room departments, the lascars were headed by
12032-627: The lascars. Many lascars made attempts to learn English but few were able to talk at length to their European captains. Lascars served on ships for assisted passage to Australia , and on troopships during Britain's colonial wars including the Boer Wars and the Boxer Rebellion . In 1891 there were 24,037 lascars employed on British merchant ships. For example, the ship "Massilia" sailing from London to Sydney , Australia in 1891 lists more than half of its crew as Indian lascars. By 1815,
12160-570: 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
12288-510: 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
12416-601: 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
12544-652: The north-west coast of North America. These sailors were among the multinational crew arriving from Asia in search of furs. Among these was the Nootka in 1786 that arrived at the Russian port of Unalaska and sailed on to Prince William Sound in Alaska. There were ten Indian and one Chinese lascar on this vessel. Three lascars died in Prince William Sound , Alaska. The Nootka sailed back to Asia via Hawaii, and
12672-425: 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
12800-531: The organisation as being structured in a hierarchy with ordinary members at the bottom, followed by pillar members, and the National Executive Committee of the YMO at the top. Ordinary members become pillar after years of activities and proving one's loyalty when they take a vow and swearing allegiance to the leadership. At least when Husain was a member in the early 1990s, East London Mosque
12928-408: 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
13056-586: The ports but remaining on board the ships. After the death of James Cook in Hawaii, HMS Resolution sailed to Macau with her cargo of furs from the north-west coast of North America. The ship was very undermanned and took on fresh crew at Macau in December 1779 including a lascar from Calcutta by the name of Ibraham Mohammed. Lascars were arriving in Hong Kong before the 1842 Treaty of Nanking . Since
13184-581: 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
13312-564: The process. Lascars would normally lodge in British ports in between voyages. Some settled in port towns and cities in Britain, often because of restrictions such as the Navigation Act or due to being stranded as well as suffering ill treatment. Some were abandoned and fell into poverty due to quotas on how many lascars could serve on a single ship. Lascars sometimes lived in Christian charity homes, boarding houses and barracks. At
13440-486: The prospect of local employment, or were on a ship returning East. The collective naming of these groups as "strangers" reflected contemporary British attitudes. Lascar immigrants were often the first Asians to be seen in British cities and were initially perceived as indolent due to their reliance on Christian charities. In 1925 the Coloured Alien Seamen Order 1925 Act was brought into law by
13568-553: The purchase of cows for sacrifice and distribution there. Lascars A lascar was a sailor or militiaman from the Indian subcontinent , Southeast Asia , the Arab world , British Somaliland or other lands east of the Cape of Good Hope who was employed on European ships from the 16th century until the mid-20th century. The Oxford English Dictionary states that the word has two possible derivations: The Portuguese adapted
13696-607: 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
13824-485: 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
13952-508: The return voyage. Another reason was the frequent impressment of European sailors from EIC East Indiamen by the Royal Navy in times of war. In 1756, a British fleet under admirals George Pocock and Charles Watson , with an expeditionary force under Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Clive set off from Bombay with 1,300 men, including 700 Europeans, 300 sepoys and 300 "topaze Indo-Portuguese". Their successful expedition against Kanhoji Angre
14080-517: 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
14208-423: The ships sailed from Macau, though some came from India. When Gustavus III arrived at Clayoquot Sound on the coast of Vancouver Island , the ship's crew included three Chinese, one Goan and one Filipino. Lascars were barred from entry to British Columbia and other Canadian ports from June 1914 until the late 1940s. Therefore, they seldom occur on landing and embarkation records, though they were frequenting
14336-566: The streets of London. Shortly after these reports, evangelical Christians proposed the construction of a charity house and gathered £15,000 in assistance of the lascars. In 1856 "The Strangers' Home for Asiatics, Africans and South Sea Islanders" was opened in Commercial Road, Limehouse under the manager, Lieutenant-Colonel R. Marsh Hughes. The home helped and supported lascars and sailors from as far as China. The home helped with employment and with leaving Britain. Additionally, it served as
14464-517: The term lascar is also used in Mauritius , Réunion and the Seychelles to refer to Muslims, by both Muslims and non-Muslims. Lascars began living in England in small numbers from the mid-17th century as servants as well as sailors on English ships. Baptism records show that a number of young men from the Malabar Coast were brought to England as servants. Lascars arrived in larger numbers in
14592-410: The term to "lascarins", meaning Asian militiamen or seamen, from any area east of the Cape of Good Hope , including Indian, Malay, Chinese, and Japanese crewmen. The English word " lascarins ", now obsolete, referred to Sri Lankans who fought in the colonial army of the Portuguese until the 1930s. The British of the East India Company initially described Indian lascars as ' Topass ', but later adopted
14720-584: 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,
14848-579: The wife of a Peshawar-born Indian domiciled in Britain and working as a sailor, describes the treatment of some Indians who were British subjects under the Home Office Coloured Aliens Seamen's Order, 1925: "My husband landed at Cardiff, after a voyage at sea on the SS Derville as a fireman, and produced his Mercantile Marine Book, R.S 2 No. 436431, which bears his Certificate of Nationality, declaring him to be British, and
14976-499: 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
15104-448: 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
15232-644: Was 50 percent less than that of a British crew, being six pence per head per day as opposed to twelve pence a day." Many lascars lived under poor conditions, as shipowners could keep their services for up to three years at a time, moving them from one ship to the next on a whim. The ill-treatment of lascars continued into the 19th and 20th centuries. The British East India Company recruited seamen from areas around its factories in Bengal , Assam and Gujarat , as well as from Yemen , British Somaliland and Goa . People from India have been travelling to Great Britain since
15360-661: Was a YMO stronghold from which the organisation was working to spread. Members were expected to an account of their daily activities (how many hours they spent on prayer, reciting the Quran , reading hadith and other Islamic books, etc.) reporting their achievements at the YMO weekly meeting. This article about an Islamic organization 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
15488-560: Was all too often a sight; slime, dirt and excrement a common experience of life in the Oriental Quarter. A small number of lascars settled down and married local white women, at least partly due to a lack of Asian women in Britain at the time, leading to small multiracial communities in port towns. Some of them converted to Christianity (at least nominally) as it was legally required to be Christian in order to marry in Britain at this time. British women cohabiting with lascars
15616-585: Was finally repealed in 1963. However, "traditional" Indian deck and Pakistani engine crews continued to be used in Australia until 1986 when the last crew was discharged from the P&;O and replaced by a general-purpose crew of Pakistanis. Presumably because Muslim lascars manned the "coolie ships" that carried Indian and Chinese indentured labour to the sugar plantations of the Mascarene Islands,
15744-519: Was known as the butler (either answering to a European chief steward or in charge of the catering department himself in a small ship). A cook was known as a bhandary. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created a lascar foil to Sherlock Holmes in " The Man with the Twisted Lip ". Lascars aboard the ship Patna figure prominently in the early chapters of Joseph Conrad 's novel Lord Jim . Frances Hodgson Burnett 's novel A Little Princess features
15872-426: Was looked upon negatively in some quarters, with a London Borough of Tower Hamlets magistrate expressed "disgust" at local women marrying and cohabiting with lascars in 1817. Nevertheless, there were no legal restrictions against interracial marriages in Britain. Indian lascar sailors established some of England's first settled Asian-British inter-racial families in the dock areas of major port cities. This led to
16000-399: Was the first merchant wreck after the establishment of the British colony of New South Wales . Lascars were often paid only half of their fellow white sailors' wages and were frequently expected to work longer hours as well as being given smaller and inferior rations. The remuneration for lascar crews "was much lower than European or Negro seamen" and "the cost of victualling a lascar crew
16128-435: 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
16256-446: Was used throughout South and Southeast Asia. When the English adopted the term "lascar", they initially used it for all Asian sailors on English-flagged ships, but after 1661 and the Portuguese ceded Bombay to England, the term was used mainly to describe Indian sailors specifically. The term "topaze" was used to describe Indo-Portuguese personnel, especially those from Bombay, Thana , Diu , Dammam and Cochin . The term " sepoy "
16384-721: Was used to describe Indian soldiers in European service. The number of lascars employed on EIC East Indiamen was so great that the Parliament of England restricted their employment via the Navigation Acts (in force from 1660 onwards) which required that 75% of the crew onboard English-flagged ships importing goods from Asia be English subjects. The restriction arose due to the high rates of illnesses and death among European sailors on East Indiamen, and their frequent desertions in Asia, which left such ships short of crew for
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