Bengali Studies & Reports
Siloti Archive, Research & Cultural Centre: Dedicated to preserving, researching, and promoting the rich linguistic, artistic, and cultural heritage of native communities of Sylheti origin across Northeast India, Sylhet (Bangladesh), and the global Sylheti diaspora
Find out more: https://sylhetiarchivercc.org/about
Foregrounding UK diasporic Bengali and allied music-making, this thesis aims to 1) challenge monolithic notions of Bengaliness in the context of evolving political, socioeconomic and cultural realities in desh (home) and bidesh (away); 2) introspect Bengali citizenly identities’ fostering of personal and familial intimacies; 3) publics; and 4) understand “subaltern” positionalities by Budhaditya Bhattacharyya, Hindustani Classical Vocalist ~ Music Researcher
https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/budhaditya-bhattacharyya/
https://drive.proton.me/urls/NECYV51KG0#weAdDLA5jnen
Dedicated to preserving, researching, and promoting the rich linguistic, artistic and cultural heritage of native communities of Sylhet origin across Northeast India, Sylhet (Bangladesh), and the global Sylheti diaspora.
Sylheti Archive, An Initiative of Siloti Archive Research & Cultural Centre https://sylhetiarchivercc.
Music has a special place in the lives of migrants, a site for the continuous reinventing of an imagined home, and has played an important part in the everyday cultural and political struggles of Asians in a hostile and violent metropolitan environment. From its deep historical roots in the subcontinent, Indian music has travelled and accompanied South Asian settlers, contributing to the creation of a distinctive cultural presence in the West. While the subcontinent has remained the musical source, over the last 50 years, as the material and symbolic presence of Asians has increased, a distinctive British produced variant of Asian music has emerged. Read More
The years that followed the Partition of the Indian Subcontinent in 1947 generated what is now regarded as one of the largest involuntary migrations in modern history. Altogether around eighteen million people left their homes in the first two decades after the creation of Pakistan, approximately seven hundred thousand of whom were Urdu-speaking Muslims who migrated to the region of East Bengal (now Bangaldesh). Following the Liberation of the country in 1971 many of these ‘Urdu-speakers’, known locally as ‘Biharis’, were displaced for the second time. Branded Pakistani collaborators for their involvement in the war, they were disenfranchised and socially ostracised. Many were dispossessed by the state and, fearful for their lives, found themselves in temporary camps established by the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC). Considered a ‘stateless’ population until 2008, around one hundred and sixty thousand are thought to remain in the camps today. Read More
The paper explores the construction and contestation of meanings around the iconic East London street, Brick Lane. Taking the 2006 protests around the film Brick Lane as its starting point, the paper draws on original interviews conducted in 2008 with a range of Bengali community representatives, to examine the narratives of space, community and belonging that emerge around the idea of Brick Lane as the ‘cultural heartland’ of the British Bangladeshi community. Read More
For the Future of the Children? The Onward Migration of Italian Bangladeshis in Europe By Mohammad Morad and Devi Sacchetto
In this study, the authors analyse the reasons for the onward migration of Bangladeshis in Italy to the UK after they obtain Italian citizenship. The findings of 51 in-depth interviews and participant observation with Bangladeshi migrants with Italian citizenship in three cities of north-eastern Italy and two cities of the UK indicate that Italian Bangladeshis move to the UK, not only for economic reasons, but also to better manage the cultural and social reproduction of their family, particularly the second generation. This is indicative of the centrality of colonial legacy from a cultural and economic point of view. Since the UK has the biggest Bangladeshi diaspora, there are more opportunities for reproducing Bengali traditions and religious upbringing for their children. Additionally, Italian Bangladeshis also mentioned that providing British education to the next generation can increase their social status in their home country. Read More
Bengaliness and its unique evolution find a new watershed through the twin memoirs of Amartya Sen and Krishna Bose; Somjyoti Mridha, through his review, seeks to delve deep into issues responsible for cataclysmic changes Bengal has undergone since the mid-18th century. Read More
This study investigates the ethno-historical origins of the Bengali people and their culture, focusing on a timeline from ancient times until the 13th century A.D. The research encompasses human settlements, agricultural practices, and social structures in ancient Bengal, emphasising the significance of villages and their development. Additionally, the study explores the influence of tribal and aboriginal communities on the culture of Bengal, and analyses historical perceptions about the region’s inhabitants. Read More
Numerous studies on the UK Bengali community have been carried out by various academics and professionals. Below is a selection of papers. Please note that Swadhinata Trust may not necessarily share the views shown in external links from this site.
This paper is an attempt to explore the politics and the poetics of vernacular music in modern Ben- gal. Drawn from extensive and in-depth research into the current “scene” (as popularly referred to in the musician and music lover circles), this paper delves into the living histories of musical and linguistic revolutions in a part of India where the vernacular literature has been historically rich, and vastly in uenced by the post-colonial heritage. Read More
The Bengalis in Assam have been negotiating marginalization since partition. Coinage of the tags ‘migrants’, ‘immigrants’, ‘illegal immigrants’ with their identity has only resulted in exclusion from their birth-rights vis-à-vis has resulted in shrinking space in the literary and cultural arena of the State. The paper reviews the historical presence of Bengali-speakers in the land presently identified as Assam State, the rich heritage and cultivation of Bengali literature & culture in Assam and the threat faced out of the myopic approach of linguistic chauvinism based on regionalism. Read More
The paper explores the construction and contestation of meanings around the iconic East London street, Brick Lane. Taking the 2006 protests around the film Brick Lane as its starting point, the paper draws on original interviews conducted in 2008 with a range of Bengali community representatives, to examine the narratives of space, community and belonging that emerge around the idea of Brick Lane as the ‘cultural heartland’ of the British Bangladeshi community. Read More
The Bangladeshi community in the UK exhibits high childhood vaccination uptake for several vaccines, including measles, mumps and rubella compared with several ethnic groups. This study explored key enablers for early childhood vaccination uptake among the Bangladeshi community in East London, UK Published in the BMJ Public Health Journals authored by Ifra Ali, NIHR Doctoral, Research Fellow, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick.
https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/3/1/e001004
A series of books on East End by author Mayar Akash:
- Re-awakening – Re-Awakening by Mayar Akash (Paperback) — Lulu GB
- Politicians of Tower Hamlets – Tower Hamlets Bangladeshi Politicians’ Reference Book 1982-2018 by Mayar Akash (Paperback) — Lulu GB
- Tide of change – Tides of Change – Snapshots of 1993-94 by Mayar Akash (Paperback) — Lulu GB
- Young Voice – Young Voice by Mayar Akash (Paperback) — Lulu GB
- Brick & Mortar – http://www.lulu.com/shop/mayar-akash/bangladeshi-east-end-brick- mortar/paperback/product-24160715.html
- Vigil Sabotaged – Vigil Subotaged by Mayar Akash (Paperback) — Lulu GB
- British Sylheti Chronicle – Chronicle of Sylhetis of United Kingdom by Mayar Akash (Paperback) — Lulu GB
- Bangladeshi Fish – Bangladeshi Fishes Basic Guide by Mayar Akash (Paperback) — Lulu GB
- Sylheti Identity Books Sylheti Identity Books
- LBTH Bangladeshi Politicians 1982-2017 LBTH Bangladeshi Politicians 1982-2017
- Let’s Learn Bengali Let’s Learn Bengali
- British Bangladeshis – Alexander Lidher
- Bangladeshi immigrants’ British Bangladeshis Alexander Lidher 2024 2021_MigrationLetters_Mantovan
Constitution of Identity of Diasporic Figures in Monica Ali’s Brick Lane:
https://www.academia.edu/resource/work/15528576
Political Islam and The Elections in Bangladesh:
https://www.academia.edu/resource/work/13410148
Religious extremism and nationalism in Bangladesh:
https://www.academia.edu/resource/work/3417461
Elastic Orthodoxy: The Tactics of Young Muslim Identity in the East End of London (2013):
https://www.academia.edu/resource/work/2638595
New Ethnicities among British Bangladeshis and Mixed Heritage Youth:
https://www.academia.edu/resource/work/332342
Identity, Nation and Religion: Educated Young Bangladeshi Muslims in London’s ‘East End
https://www.academia.edu/resource/work/5107264
Genetics, religion and identity: a study of British Bangladeshis:
https://www.academia.edu/resource/work/823585
Representing British Bangladeshis in the Global City: Authenticity, Text and Performance:
https://www.academia.edu/resource/work/2856029
2013 Imagining a Muslim Diaspora in Britain? Islamic Consciousness and Homelands Old and New p.34f (The New Muslims, Runnymede Trust):
https://www.academia.edu/resource/work/27628847
Labour market experiences of young UK Bangladeshi men: Identity, inclusion and exclusion in inner-city London:
https://www.academia.edu/resource/work/8396921
Link to the review: https://bit.ly/2ujsH3J
35 years on – due to be released 2020
Altab Ali – will be released 2020
Transnational land and property disputes the British Bangladeshi experience (PDF Report)
Words and violence: militant Islamist attacks on bloggers in Bangladesh and the UK (PDF Report)
Curry Capital report by Sean Carey (PDF)
Notions of Belonging of Bangladeshi People Residing in the Netherlands (PDF)
Review ‘The untold stories of Muslim migrants in the Bengal delta’ in The Daily Star (PDF Report)
National Identities (PDF Report)
Do Brick Lane’s curry houses have a future? by Sean Carey
Changing narratives of violence, struggle and resistance: Bangladeshis and the competition for resources in the global city John Eade and David Garbin (doc 81 KB)
Economic Migrant or Hyphenated British? Writing about difference in London’s East End John Eade (doc 63 KB)
Bengali-Muslim Conflict and Competition Approaches to constructing community in SpitalfieldsJessica S Borowick (email) (doc 60 KB)
The Logic of Letting Go: Family and Individual Migration from Matlab, Bangladesh Randall Kuhn (pdf 177 KB)
Miracle Worker or Womanmachine? Tracking (Trans)national Realities in Bangladeshi FactoriesDina M Siddiqi (pdf 54 KB)
Globalization, International Migration and the Need for Networking: The Bangladesh PerspectiveRita Afsar, PhD (pdf 75 KB)
Interrogating Victimhood: East Bengali Refugee Narratives of Communal Violence Nilanjana Chatterjee (pdf 77 KB)
Women, Islam And The State In Bangladesh Subordination And Resistance Tazeen Mahnaz Murshid (pdf 40 KB)
The taste of Banglatown Guardian article by Paul Barker on Sean Carey’s report on Brick Lane
Statement of the Conference of the Bangladesh Forum Germany on Human Rights and Civil Society in Bangladesh (doc 105 KB) Conference held on 26th and 27th January 2006, Berlin
Amnesty International Report on Bangladesh
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT – BANGLADESH by Home Offie (doc 1 MB)
Marxism and Multiculturalism by Sarah Glyn (doc 101 KB)
Identity by Jessica (doc 42 KB)
The proprietors of history by Jeremy Seabrooks (doc 44 KB)
Human Rights Overview – Bangladesh by Human Rights Watch (doc 89 KB)
Dynamics of Remittance utilization in Bangladesh by Tom De Bruyn (htm 19 KB)
Bangladeshi male and female migrants in Malaysia by Anja Rudnick (htm 11 KB)
Economic Migrant or Hyphenated British? Writing about difference in London’s East End by John Eade (doc 65 KB)
Review of: `The political construction of diasporic communities in the global city’. In P. Gilbert (ed.), Imagined Londons, Albany: SUNY Press. by John Eade (doc 90 KB)
Changing Narratives of Violence, Struggle and Resistance: Bangladeshis and the Competition for Resources in the Global City by JOHN EADE & DAVID GARBIN (txt 46 KB)
Bangladeshi diaspora in the UK: socio-cultural dynamics, religious trends and transnational politics by Dr David Garbin Cronem, University of Surrey (doc 126 KB)
Competing Visions of Identity and Space: Bangladeshi Muslims in Britain by John Eade and David Garbin (doc 99 KB)
Bangladeshis in east London: from secular politics to Islam by Delwar Hussain
The Threat of Bangladesh by Chris Blackburn
Olympics – effect on Green Street by Paul Barker for the Guardian
The Spirit of ’71: how the Bangladeshi War of Independence has haunted Tower Hamlets Sarah Glynn, Institute of Geography, University of Edinburgh
Moving on up? Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Black Caribbean women and work Early findings from the EOC’s investigation in England
Terrorism, Democracy, and Economic Development in Bangladesh International Conference on Bangladesh Sep 30th 2006, United Nations Plaza Millennium Hotel, New York
Crisis Group Report on Bangladesh Today Islamabad/Brussels, 23 October 2006: With national elections due in January 2007 amid political discord that could threaten its democracy and encourage the growth of militant Islamist forces, Bangladesh needs to be taken more seriously.
When Progressives Treat With Reactionaries: The British State’s flirtation with radical Islamism by Martin Bright, the political editor of The New Statesman.
Bangladesh and the World Bank saga article by Jamil M. Iqbal published in the socialist appeal.
Terrorism in Bangladesh The Region and Beyond by Chris Blackburn.
COMING OF THE CHAMELEONS THE EMERGENCE OF A ‘DISCOURSE OF CHOICE’ AMONGST THE CHILDREN OF SOUTH ASIAN AND WHITE PARENTS
Sultana Choudhry, Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths College, University of London.
New ethnicities among British Bangladeshi and mixed-heritage youth University of Surrey
writing British Asian cities a project which aims to establish a permanent forum for sustained and focused interchange between scholars interested in broadly Arts and Humanities perspectives on the South Asian heritage presence in Britain
Pay gaps A report published for the EOC’s Moving on up investigation reveals that Pakistani women working full time earn 28% less per hour than white men working full-time.
Bangladesh and the crisis over the Caretaker Government By Jamil M. Iqbal Wednesday, 17 January 2007
The Road to a Sharia state?Cultural Radicalization in Bangladesh by Maneeza Hossain
Living apart together British Muslims and the paradox of multiculturalism – Munira Mirza, Abi Senthilkumaran and Zein Ja’far
When Progressives Treat with Reactionaries – Pamphlet by Martin Bright courtesy of Policy Exchange
Moving on up? The Way Forwardreport by the Equal Opportunities Commission detailing findings of their two year investigation into Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Black Caribbean women and work
Publications on the Hudson Institute website by Maneeza Hossain
Bangladesh at the crossroads By A. Tariq Karim and C. Christine Fair for the United States Institute of Peace
Moving on up? The Way Forward On 15 March 2007 the Equal Opportunities Commission published Moving on up? The way forward. The final report details findings of our two year investigation into Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Black Caribbean women and work and highlights challenges for the future.
Article by Mosarrof Hussain on Faith Schools in Scotland Commissioned by the New Statesman
Home Office report on Bangladesh
Brick Lane food revival Time Out article
The Crime of Partition – part 1 Article in Socialist Appeal by Jamil Iqbal
The Crime of Partition – part 2 Article in Socialist Appeal by Jamil Iqbal
The Crime of Partition – part 3: The role of the Communist Party of India during Partition Article in Socialist Appeal by Jamil Iqbal
London Lives – Speaking of Home (pdf file – opens in new window)
Bangladeshi women in London’s East End reflect on belonging – Nicola Samson (also available on www.risingeast.org).
East London Advertiser article on Respect.Author and academic Jamil Iqbal offers a new perspective on the much-publicised and highly acrimonious divisions w hich are threatening to tear Respect apart. (pdf file – opens in new window)
Political Again: Legacies of the Anti-War Struggle (pdf file – opens in new window)
By Jamil Iqbal and Richard Phillips, Bangla Mirror, 26/07/07
Against Women in Bangladesh (pdf file – opens in new window) published by Women Living Under Muslim Laws
Justice After Genocide: Ways To Deal With The Past (pdf file – opens in new window) by Dr. Zia Uddin Ahmed – first published in the News From Bangladesh, October 27, 1997
Torture in Bangladesh 1971-2004 (pdf file – opens in new window) Report from The Redress Trust – realised with financial support from the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights
Reporters Without Borders’ 2008 Annual Report on Bangladesh rise of the military government, the lack of freedom of press, threats to media personnel and the torture of journalists
State of human rights in the UK in 2007 (pdf file – opens in new window) UK human rights situation in 2007: US Report
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices – Bangladesh 2007 (pdf file – opens in new window) Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor March 11, 2008
Human Rights Watch – The Torture of Tasneem Khalil (pdf file – opens in new window) How the Bangladesh Military Abuses Its Power under the State of Emergency
The Dark Side of the Muslim Council of Britain FrontPageMagazine.com | Thursday, February 03, 2005
Border rustling By Delwar Hussain February 2009
Bangladesh: Junior Partner in the U.S. “War on Terror?” by Brian Palmer, 28 May 2010
Bangladesh’s Secular Revolution by K. Anis Ahmed. published in Wall Street Journal – http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052748703369704575460973747040644-lMyQjAxMTAwMDMwMTEzNDEyWj.html
Bangladesh Bans Compulsory ‘Islamic’ Dress by Irfan Al-Alawi and Stephen Schwartz, The Weekly Standard Blog, September 8, 2010
“You are what you eat: Culture, Memory and Identity Creation in the British-Bengali Kitchen”, by Stephanie Brady, 2007
Is Brick Lane in danger of losing its spice? by Sean Carey, published in the Guardian, September 2010
Are touts and late night noise just part of Brick Lane’s charm? by Sean Carey, published in the Guardian, 5 February 2015
From Brick Lane to Bengali Avenue by Gareth Potts, February 2015, DVoice, Detriot, Michigan, US
Here the Report of Bangladeshi People:
Bangladeshi Muslim (PDF 612KB)
Bengali Articles
This is a summary of findings from a research project entitled “Contours of the ethnic welfare state in London and Los Angeles” by Dr Geoff DeVerteuil, School of Geography, University of Southampton.
Bangladesh’s Quest for Closure. Can the execution of Mujib’s assassins finally deliver the country from its darkest chapter? By Salil Tripathi
A Global Commodity within a Rising Empire: The History of Bengali Raw Silk as Connective Interplay between the Company Bahadur, the Bengali Local Economy and Society, and the Universal Italiam Model, c.1750-c.1830 by Roberto Davini, European University Institute, Florence, February 2008
Words and violence: militant Islamist attacks on bloggers in Bangladesh and the UK
Brick Lane, Curry and Covid-19 | South Asia@LSE by Dr Seán Carey
Bengali Music and Musicians in the UK Oral History Project by Harding V and Begum J
Remembering World War One’s Army of Bengali Workers by Ansar Ahmed Ullah
Brick Lane in danger of losing its spice? By Sean Carey of The Guardian
To The Everest by Farhana Urmee of The Daily Star
Fundamentalism and the ‘faith industry’ in Tower Hamlets, by Ansar Ahmed Ullah, May 2014
Taking stock: Respect, SWP and Islamist politics in Tower Hamlets, by Jamil Iqbal and Richard Phillips
Travel article: Lured by the Beach Side of a Beleaguered Land in Bangladesh, by Jeff Koyen, December 2006
An Emotional Return to Bangladesh — After 43 Years, by Bernard-Henri Levy, December 2014
From Brick Lane to Bengali Avenue by Gareth Potts, February 2015, DVoice, Detriot, Michigan, US
The Bengal Famine: How the British engineered the worst genocide in human history for profit by Rakhi Chakraborty, August 2014