The following statement has been issued to AADHIKAROnline by Fozol Miah, the “Respect” group leader on Tower Hamlets Council

• The following statement has been issued to AADHIKAROnline  by Fozol Miah, the “Respect”  group leader on  Tower Hamlets Council and one of the three sitting councillors for the present Ward of “Spitalfields and Banglatown”  [in the Brick Lane London E1 area]
  Tuesday
  20 November 2012
  16:09
  Outrageous proposal to erase Banglatown from the map of Tower Hamlets.
  
  As a long standing ward Councillor, serving the people of Spitalfields and Banglatown, I find the proposal to remove Banglatown from the map of Tower Hamlets completely outrageous, insensitive and deplorable.
  The proposal by the Conservative Group is an insult to the Bangladeshi community, its heritage in the UK and its long and hard struggles for recognition in this country. Brick Lane and Banglatown are hugely important and significant; not just for the Bangladeshi community but the wider local population too, it helps to bring recognition, a sense of identity, generates income for local businesses and celebrates its recent history.
  
  The Bangladeshi community have suffered racial hatred from the time they settled in Brick Lane and after decades of battling racism, the people have turned this area into a thriving and prosperous part of the borough.
  Banglatown is recognised across the country for housing one of the most famous streets in the UK , Brick Lane , known as the curry capital of London .
  The area is renowned for Bangladeshi heritage, cuisine, culture, arts and being home to the largest population of Bangladeshis anywhere outside of Bangladesh .
  After years of campaigning by local activists, the area surrounding Brick Lane was given recognition as Banglatown in 1997 and in April 2001, the ward was officially named as Spitalfields and Banglatown in recognition for the largest settlement of Bangladeshis in the UK .Surrounding streets were redecorated, with lamp posts painted in green and red, resembling the colours of the Bangladeshi flag.
  Bangladeshis have made this area their “home” and the name Banglatown reflects this sentiment entirely.
  The name Banglatown signifies the fabric and grain of the local Bangladeshi community; it is intertwined with the identity of each and every Bangladeshi living in the UK .
  
  Much Bangladeshi blood have been spilled over the years in attaining the name Banglatown and the landmarks in recognition of the community’s heritage from Brick Lane Mosque to Altab Ali Park to Shaheed Minar Monument.
  This attempt to erase the British Bangladeshi history is to ignore long suffering, violent racial attack and struggles.
  From the Rivers of Blood speech in 1968 by Enoch Powell, skinhead attacks on Brick Lane in 1970s to racially motivated murder of Altab Ali in 1978 and attacks on Quaddas Ali 1993 and Muktar Ahmed 1994.
  
  The Bangladeshi community has fought back and challenged direct racism for decades, however there are more subtle and more sophisticated forces at play to remove any signs of Bangladeshis from Banglatown and the wider Tower Hamlets. In recent years, the proposed Cross Rail digging in Brick Lane was designed make the lives of local Bangladeshis impossible to remain here, however with the support of the local community, we led successful campaigns stooping the proposal in its tracks.
  This proposal by the Conservative Group to erase Banglatown from the map of Tower Hamlets is yet another attack on the local Bangladeshi community.
  At a time when the coalition government is promoting community empowerment with its Localism Act and Equalities Act, it is ironic that their local Conservative Group is keen to destroy a long established community and its identity with complete disregard for the local people.
  
  I call upon each and very Bangladeshi across the political arena to unite and fight this absurd proposal and retain the name Banglatown and protect Bangladeshi heritage in the UK .