How Bangladeshis being 'scapegoated' ahead of UK election

The current favourite to win the 4 July election, Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer, recently made a racial remark against the British Bangladeshi community. Photo: Reuters

With Britain's 4 July election fast approaching, a new controversy is making headlines involving the current favourite to win the election, Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer, and the British Bangladeshi community. 

If nothing, this uproar starkly highlights the persistent racism and disdain faced by the British Bangladeshi community despite their immense contributions to the nation over the years.

It also shows how the British Bangladeshi community is being "scapegoated" for the sake of gaining political advantage, with immigration becoming a wedge issue on the election campaign.

It all began last Monday, when the Labour leader was answering questions from Sun readers. At one point, he was asked what Labour planned to do about deporting people who had entered the UK illegally.

In response, he said: "At the moment people coming from countries like Bangladesh are not being removed."

This remark did not sit well with Sabina Akhtar, the deputy leader of the Labour group on Tower Hamlets Council in East London, who resigned from the party in outrage.

"I was the first female speaker of the council from Bangladeshi origin, and I was a proud Labour Party member, but I cannot be proud anymore when the leader of the party singles out my community and insults my Bangladeshi identity," she said.

Apsana Begum, standing for re-election in Poplar and Limehouse, said she "would never stand by and let migrant communities be scapegoated."

"It's totally unacceptable for politicians, for any party, to use dog whistle racism against Bangladeshis or any other community," she added.

Rushanara Ali, who is facing pressure in neighbouring Bethnal Green and Stepney for following the party line on Israel's actions in Gaza, stated that she had contacted Sir Keir's office to lodge a complaint.

These two seats are the main centres of the Bangladeshi community in Britain.

Meanwhile, Ex-MP for Cynon Valley, Beth Winter claimed, "It is outrageous for anyone to use dog whistle racism against any migrant community." Kate Osamor, another former MP for Edmonton, added, "Any attempt to scapegoat this community… is completely wrong."

Sir Keir, for his part however, denied meaning any offence. He explained on Thursday that he had only cited Bangladesh as "an example of a country that is considered safe for asylum seekers and one that actually has a returns agreement with us."

"They've made a massive contribution to our economy, to our culture and to our country. That's why there's always been a longstanding and strong relationship between Labour and the Bangladeshi community here," he also said.

But this excuse doesn't really hold much water, as he already has had several issues with minority communities up his sleeves, on top of his long-standing indulgence of Islamophobia and support for Israel's assault on Gaza.

According to a survey in February, only 60% of British Muslims who backed Labour at the 2019 general election are willing to do so again at the next general election expected this year, thanks to the party's handling of the Gaza war.

Pro-Palestinian independent candidates are standing against Labour in a number of seats across England in the UK's election, and regard voters disillusioned with Labour as their most likely supporters.

Also, Sir Keir is not the only British politician to single out Bangladesh recently. Earlier this week, shadow minister Jonathan Ashworth made similar remarks to BBC Newsnight.

"We're going to get on with processing people's claims and those people that shouldn't be here, when they come from countries like Bangladesh or wherever, we're going to send them back."

Notably, Britain's official migration figures show just 42 Bangladeshis entered the UK illegally in the year leading up to March 2024 – making up just 0.1 per cent of total illegal arrivals.

In May, the British government signed an agreement with Bangladesh "to speed up the removal of migrants with no right to be in the country".

In 2023, according to Home Office statistics, 12 failed asylum seekers were deported to Bangladesh, while 66 went back voluntarily.

Overall, there are more than 650,000 people in Britain with Bangladeshi origin, almost half of whom live in London. BBC claims that over 8 out of 10 UK Indian restaurants are owned by Bangladeshis, most of whom originate from Sylhet.

However, there is also a long history if racial violence against the Bangladeshi community in Britain. In the 1970s, there was a large rise in the number of attacks on Bangladeshis.

The most notable is the incident of Altab Ali, a 25-year-old, who was murdered on 4 May 1978 as he walked from home.

After his death, 7,000 people marched to Downing Street and Hyde Park, calling for an end to racism, Nazism, and the heightened racist attacks in the East End.

Since then, Ali's name became associated with a movement of resistance against racist attacks and continues to be linked with this struggle for human rights to this day.

"We know where this [recent remarks involving Bangladesh] leads, and why the Bangladeshi community led the anti-fascist fight back in the wake of the murder of Altab Ali in 1978 with the message 'here to stay'," said Apsana Begum.

Jannatul Naym Pieal, Sketch: TBS

Jannatul Naym Pieal is a journalist. 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.