Bangladeshi Community in The UK

Bangladeshi Community in the UK Migration from Bangladesh to Britain started in 1930s and was predominantly a Sylheti phenomenon.

Men of this particular geographical area employed by the British ship companies first started the process of migration.

These men were largely illiterate and belonged to the landless peasantry. After the World War, due to labor shortages, British government encouraged labor migration from its former colonies.

The postwar British economy demanded cheap and plentiful labor, much of which was recruited from South Asia.

Since Sylhet had already forged a strong link with the UK, most new labor was drawn from there. Sylhetis, based in the UK, helped each other to integrate into the new society by providing credit, arranging documents, and gradually spreading the network. During the 1950s, the numbers increased dramatically.

However, along with people from poorer backgrounds, a small number of urban upper and middle class Bangladeshi also migrated even before the World War for higher education and settled in the UK.

According to the 2001 census, 283,063 Bangladeshi lived in the UK, which is 0.5 percent of the total population. In Britain, they are primarily concentrated in Greater London and the third generation of Bangladeshi population, those 'born and bred" in Britain, constitute half of the community.

The largest Bangladeshi population outside London is located in Oldham, and the others are scattered across Birmingham, Luton and Bradford.

British Bangladeshi are predominantly Muslims.

Studies reveal that the second and the third generation Bangladeshi seem to uphold their Muslim identity rather than their identity as Bangladeshi.

However, the absence of a strong tie does not mean that the Bangladeshi community is completely detached from their homeland.

In the era of globalization and social networking, like other diaspora communities, British Bangladeshi are also linked to their countries of origin by phone, mail, Internet and television.

By the virtue of technological advancement, communication of news is rapid and sustained, which gives migrant communities a sense of belonging to multiple homes.

In particular, the first generation of migrants continues to regard Bangladesh as central to their identity.