Samia Uddin

Once viewed as a path out of poverty, education for second-generation British-Bangladeshis is now about breaking down barriers for minority communities. Kobi Nazrul. Bangabandhu. Osmani. Each notable figure in Bangladeshi history has inspired the names of primary schools in Tower Hamlets. Kobi Nazrul is dedicated to the memory of Bengali poet and author; Kazi Nazrul Islam.

Brick Lane’s curry houses may be in terminal decline but they laid the pathway for the next generation of British-Bangladeshis to spread their wings and make Bengali cuisine more accessible. Graam Bangla, Bengal Village, Sonargaon. Just a few eateries for those with refined tastebuds. The roots of the Bengali restaurant trade in East London can be traced back to the post-World War II era when the first generation of Bengali immigrants arrived in Britain.

In Whitechapel’s Bengali community, younger generations are redefining the tradition of arranged marriages by incorporating digital matchmaking and cross-cultural influences. ‘My parents met for the first time on their wedding day,’ says Alina Rahman, a third-generation Bengali living in Bethnal Green.