Current Project
The Bengali Photo Archive
A new collection of images celebrating Bengali life in east London
Current Project
Forest Gate Freedom Walk
Join Peter Ashan, a friend of the Swadhinata Trust, for a revealing “Freedom Walk” through Forest Gate. This guided tour explores the neighborhood’s rich history of diversity and the challenges faced in building a multi-ethnic, multi-faith community.
Current Project
Social learning about COVID-19 vulnerability and social distancing
Social learning about COVID-19 vulnerability and social distancing in high density populations: the case of UK urban dwelling Bangladeshis.
Current Project
TALK: Bengali History Walk
The BanglaTown walk and talk is aimed at anybody interested in Bengali migration and settlement in the East End. It is an opportunity to learn about the Bengali community’s history and heritage, and the lives of people with diverse backgrounds and experiences, values and customs.
Current Project
BRICK LANE 1978 - THE TURNING POINT
BRICK LANE 1978: THE TURNING POINT is a major new heritage project exploring the May 1978 anti-racist uprising organised by the Bengali community around Brick Lane.
With the help of local volunteers and original activists, Brick Lane 1978: The Turning Point investigates how and why this watershed moment unfolded.
Latest Recordings
A History of Bengali Music and Musician in the UK
This oral history project will aim to document multi-generational experiences of Bengali music in Britain, and examples of the music itself.
Current Project
Defending Bangladeshi bloggers under threat
Secular humanist bloggers, activists, publishers, university lecturers, members of minority community & foreign nationals are being systematically targeted by religious extremists in Bangladesh.
Current Project
History walk and trail
Tower Hamlets Council with Swadhinata Trust’s assistance has produced, in September 2004, a Bengali History Walk booklet Exploring Banglatown and the Bengali East End (pdf 444Kb) to introduce evidence of Bengali history and for people to explore for themselves in and around Brick Lane.