List of British Bangladeshis

This is a list of notable British Bangladeshis (Bengali: উল্লেখযোগ্য বিলাতী বাংলাদেশীদের তালিকা). This includes Bangladeshi immigrants settled or residing in the United Kingdom and British-born citizens of Bangladeshi national origin.

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

Business

  • Abdul Latif – Restaurateur known for his dish "Curry Hell".
  • Aktar Islam – Restaurateur, curry chef and businessman. In 2010, his restaurant Lasan won the Best Local Restaurant category on Channel 4's The F Word. In 2011, he won the Central regional heat to reach the final of the BBC Two series Great British Menu.
  • Aref Karim – Accountant and hedge fund manager. In 1995, he founded Quality Capital Management (QCM), which has assets in the region of £150 million according to the Sunday Times Rich List.
  • Atique Choudhury – Businessman whose restaurant Yum Yum is Europe's largest Thai restaurant.
  • Ayub Ali Master – One of the first Bengali restaurateurs, founder of the Shah Jalal Restaurant which became a hub for the British Asian community.
  • Bajloor Rashid MBE – Businessman and former president of the Bangladesh Caterers Association.
  • Enam Ali MBE – Restaurateur and businessman. In 2005, he founded The British Curry Awards. He is also the founder, publisher and editor of Spice Business Magazine.
  • Foysol Choudhury MBE MSP – Businessman, community activist and Chairman of Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council.
  • Iqbal Ahmed OBE – Entrepreneur, and chairman and chief executive of Seamark Group. In 2006, he became the highest British Bangladeshi to feature on the Sunday Times Rich List (listed at number 511). He has a net worth of $250 million.
  • Iqbal Wahhab OBE – Entrepreneur, restaurateur, journalist and publisher. He founded Tandoori Magazine and multi-award-winning restaurant Cinnamon Club.
  • Jobeda Ali – Social entrepreneur, documentary filmmaker and chief executive of Three Sisters Care. In 2010, she won the Social Business Leader award at Ogunte Women's Social Leadership Awards.
  • Leepu Nizamuddin Awlia – Car engineer, designer and coachbuilder, who builds imitation supercars out of old models in a workshop on Discovery Channel's reality television programme Bangla Bangers/Chop Shop: London Garage.
  • Mahee Ferdous Jalil – Businessman, founder of Channel S, owner of Prestige Auto Group and television presenter.
  • Mamun Chowdhury – Businessman, and founder and co-director of London Tradition. In 2014, the company was awarded a Queen's Award for Enterprise for International Trade in recognition of its increase in sales.
  • Muquim Ahmed – Entrepreneur who became the first Bangladeshi millionaire at the age of 26 due to diversification in banking, travel, a chain of restaurants with the Cafe Naz group, publishing and property development.
  • Ragib Ali – Industrialist, pioneer tea-planter, educationalist, philanthropist and banker who has a net worth of $250 million.
  • Sabirul Islam – Author, entrepreneur and motivational speaker. He has written three self-help books and developed a board game. Since 2011, he has spoken at over 700 events worldwide as part of his Inspire1Million campaign.
  • Shelim Hussain MBE – Entrepreneur, and founder, chairman and managing director of Euro Foods (UK).
  • Siraj Ali – Restaurateur and philanthropist. In 2011, he was awarded the British Bangladeshi Who's Who "Outstanding Contribution Award" for his long standing contribution to the hospitality and catering industry.
  • Syed Ahmed – Entrepreneur, businessman and television personality. He is best known for being a candidate on series two of BBC reality television programme The Apprentice in 2006.
  • Mohammad Ajman "Tommy" Miah MBE – Celebrity chef and restaurateur. In 1991, he founded the Indian Chef of the Year Competition.
  • Wali Tasar Uddin MBE – Entrepreneur, restaurateur, community leader and Chairman of the Bangladesh-British Chamber of Commerce.
  • Waliur Rahman Bhuiyan OBE – Managing Director and Country Head of BOC Bangladesh Limited.

Broadcast media

Former Blue Peter presenter, Konnie Huq

Finance

  • Helal Miah – Investment analyst at The Share Centre. His tips for how to invest have appeared in The Sunday Times and numerous investment blogs.
  • Moorad Choudhry – Managing Director, Head of Business Treasury and Global Banking & Markets at Royal Bank of Scotland plc.
  • Sultan Choudhury OBE – Banker, chartered accountant and chief executive officer of Al Rayan Bank (formerly Islamic Bank of Britain).
  • Hussain Rahim FFA FIPA - Senior Management Consultant, Ernst & Young UK, and Finance Director, Deaf & Hearing Trailblazers. Featured in EqualityX Top 10 Influential Muslims for Finance & Professional Services

Journalism

Politics

Labour Party life peer, Baroness Pola Uddin

Members of Parliament

Life peers

Mayors

  • Lutfur Rahman – Community activist and Independent politician who was convicted of electoral fraud and banned from standing for election for seven years. From 2010 to 2015, he was the first directly elected mayor of Tower Hamlets and the first Bangladeshi leader of the council.
  • Nadia Shah – Labour Party politician, councillor in Regent's Park ward and former Mayor of Camden. In May 2016, she became the first female mayor in the United Kingdom of Bangladeshi origin.
  • Nasim Ali OBE – Labour Party politician, councillor in Regent's Park ward, Cabinet Member for Young People in Camden Council and former Mayor of Camden. In 2003, at the age of 34, he became UK's youngest mayor as well as the first Bangladeshi and first Muslim mayor.

Local

Public policy and leadership

Former British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Anwar Choudhury

Music

R&B and hip hop singer, Mumzy Stranger
Brit Award nominated singer-songwriter, Joy Crookes

Film and drama

Director of Kidulthood, Menhaj Huda

Arts and culture

Kathak dancer, Akram Khan
  • Akram Khan MBE – Dancer and choreographer with a background in classical kathak training and contemporary dance. He has received numerous awards, including Outstanding Newcomer 2000, Best Modern Choreography 2002 and Outstanding Male or Female Artist (Modern) 2005 at the Critics' Circle National Dance Awards. In 2012, Khan and his dance company performed at the London Olympics opening ceremony.
  • Amina Khayyam – Dancer, choreographer and dance teacher. She is best known for her adaptation of Federico García Lorca's play Yerma and her own play A Thousand Faces.
  • Kaniz Ali – Makeup artist and freelance beauty columnist. In 2011, she was awarded the Best Make-Up Artist category at International Asian Fashion Awards.
  • Momtaz Begum-Hossain – Journalist and craft expert. She has a blog called Cos I Like Making Stuff and has written two craft books. She has been named one of the Top 100 influential crafters in the UK.
  • Nadiya Hussain – Winner of the 2015 The Great British Bakeoff, Author and Television Presenter
  • Rezia Wahid MBE – Textile artist whose work has been exhibited both in the UK and abroad.
  • Ruby Hammer MBE – Fashion and beauty makeup artist, and founder of Ruby & Millie cosmetics brand.
  • Runa Islam – Film and photography visual artist, who was nominated for the 2008 Turner Prize.
  • Saiman Miah – Architecture student who designed one of the two £5 coins for the 2012 London Summer Olympics.
  • Sanchita Islam – Artist, writer and filmmaker. In 1999, she founded Pigment Explosion, which has branched out into projects, including film, painting, drawing, writing and photography.
  • Shahidul Alam – Photographer, social activist and founder of Drik Picture Library.
  • Sunara Begum – Visual artist, filmmaker, photographer and writer, she uses installation, film, photography and text. In 2006, she co-produced the short film The Idea and founded Chand Aftara Visual Arts, an interdisciplinary arts organisation based in London.

Academia

Legal

Literature

Author of The Islamist, Ed Husain

Heads of organisations

Former Secretary General of Amnesty International, Irene Khan

Human rights and humanitarianism

  • Husna Ahmad OBE – Chief Executive Officer of the Faith Regen Foundation. She sits on the Advisory Board of East London Mosque and she previously sat on the Department for Work and Pensions' Ethnic Minority Advisory Group (EMAG).
  • Mya-Rose Craig, ornithologist, campaigner for equal rights, youngest British person to receive an honorary doctorate in science
  • Nazia Khanum OBE – Management consultant, researcher, Director of Equality in Diversity, non-executive director for NHS Luton and chair of various voluntary community organisations. In 2008, she carried out a research study of "Forced marriage, family cohesion and community engagement: national learning through a case study of Luton" for the Home Office and Metropolitan Police Service.
  • Rahima Begum – Human rights activist, and co-founder and co-director of Restless Beings.
  • Saif Uddin Ahmad – Humanitarian and chief executive officer of Al-Khair Foundation. He was formerly the chief executive officer of the UK charities Muslim Aid and Islamic Help, and he also founded the charities Faith Regen foundation, MADE in Europe and Global One 2015.
  • Sandra Kabir – Philanthropist, executive director of BRAC UK, Labour Party politician and councillor for Queensbury ward in Brent Borough.

Religious figures

Sport

Cause célèbres

Ruhal Ahmed - A British citizen who was illegally detained by the USA government without trial for over two years in the Guantanamo Bay

See also