12 SEMINARS ON BANGLADESH AND BANGLADESHIS ABROAD
Every Thursday, 7-9pm, 18 January - 5 April 07
Whitechapel Sports Centre, Durwood Street, London E1 5BA
18 JAN - Mixed Race Young People in Britain
by Dr Ferhana Hashem, Research Fellow at the University of Kent. She currently works on a two-year ESRC research project, which explores the issue of the 'Ethnic Options of Mixed Race Identity' in Britain. Ferhana completed her doctorate in political sociology in 2003, which examined Bengal Muslim identity in the Indian subcontinent. She has broad teaching experiences involving both further and higher education. After the completion of her PhD she commenced a two-year post-doctoral position researching on equality and diversity in one of the UK uniformed services.
25 JAN - ''Bangladesh 2046 - Future Scenarios'' - workshop provides an opportunity to project ahead using simple brainstorming techniques
by Niaz Alam, Bangladesh Giving Network and BBIDG. He will facilitate an interactive scenario building session looking at what Bangladesh will be like in 40 years time. Trends covered can be political, environmental, technological and economic – this promises to be both a fun and inspiring session.
1 FEB - Climate Change and its implications for Bangladesh
by Dr Saleemul Huq, Head of Climate Change Group, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and specialist on links between climate change and sustainable development, particularly on the perspectives of developing countries. Author of many publications and a previous executive director of Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies.
8 FEB - Writings about Brick Lane during the last 100 Years: Academic and Literary Perspectives
by John Eade, Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at Roehampton University and Exec. Director of CRONEM (Centre for Research on Nationalism, Ethnicity and Multiculturalism) at Surrey and Roehampton universities. His publications include Placing London: From Imperial Capital to Global City (2000), The Politics of Community: The Bangladeshi Community in East London (1989).
15 FEB - Post 1980 Drivers of Economic Change in Bangladesh
by Professor Mushtaq Khan, Professor of economics at School of African and Oriental Studies. He was born in Dhaka in 1961, completed his undergraduate studies in Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Oxford and then won a scholarship for his PhD studies in Economics at Cambridge. Previously he taught at the universities of both Oxford and Cambridge . Information about his research interests and publications are available on his website: https://mercury.soas.ac.uk/users/mk17/
22 FEB - A panel discussion on The Bangladeshi Diaspora Identity
1. Ayub Korom Ali, Labour Cllr. in LB Newham. Currently works for LB Tower Hamlets as Extended Schools Adviser. He is a trained social worker and previously worked in social services education and regeneration. He left school at the age of 16 but subsequently obtained a social work qualification (CQSW) from Ruskin College and an MA in Social Policy from Brunel University.
2. Dr Rupa Huq, Senior Lecturer at Kingston University and author of "Beyond Subculture" (Routledge 2006). She has been a Labour candidate in the last European election (2004) and stood in the 2005 General Election at Chesham and Amersham. She contributes regularly to Bangla Mirror, Times Higher Education Supplement and does DJing occasionally playing Asian Underground music.
3. Muhammad Habibur Rahman, President of Islamic Forum Europe and Vice Chair of East London Mosque and London Muslim Centre. He was born in Bangladesh and brought up in London and obtained an Msc in Computer Science. Currently, a lecturer at London Metropolitan University as an Academic Leader. He has been in youth and community work since 1982.
1 MAR - Bangla Town: What Next?
by Michael Parkes, Chartered Town Planner and Surveyor. Currently, he is based in Fashion Street and working as a community planner for Planning Aid for London. He has 16 years knowledge of Spitalfields / Bangla Town, starting with work on a master plan of the area for Community Development Group in 1989. Since 1994 he has worked as a part time lecturer at Bartlett School (UCL). He has considerable experience of working with community groups.
What is next for Bangla Town.ppt (4 MB)
8 MAR - ‘Whither My Health - Here or There?’ A Woman's Perspective
by Sandra Kabir, Exec. Director & Secretary, BRAC UK. She has worked in development since 1976 with donor agencies and international/national NGOs, predominantly involving sexual / reproductive health & women's development and rights, and established the Bangladesh Women's Health Coalition in 1979. In 1988 she was awarded the international STIMEZO Prize for her contribution to making abortion safe worldwide. Until May 2006 she was an elected councillor of LB of Brent.
15 MAR - Narrowing the gap of Bangladeshis in Education
by Rushanara Ali, an Associate Director of The Young Foundation. She has previously worked at the Home Office, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Institute for Public Policy Research and as Parliamentary Assistant to Oona King (former MP for Bethnal Green & Bow). Among other positions she is a commissioner for the London Child Poverty Commission. She has co-authored a number of reports, including Race and Representation in British Politics and Parties for the Public Good.
22 MAR - The Challenge of Urbanisation in Bangladesh: how will we cope?
by Sorwar Ahmed,Chartered Town Planner and former Chair of the Royal Town Planning Institute's London Branch. He is currently at development consultancy Colin Buchanan & Partners as the head of regeneration . He has extensive experience of regeneration, town planning and community development, and has worked in sustainable neighbourhoods / economic development projects across the UK.
The challenge of urbanisation in Bangladesh.ppt (580 kB)
29 MAR - Battle of Plassey (23 June 1757): the context and immediate impact of the British conquest of Bengal
by Dr Muhammad Ahmedullah. He completed his PhD in 1998 on the Relationship between Epistemology and Political Theory from Kent University. Since May 2005 he has been delivering a unique exhibition on Dhaka City around the UK. He has worked in major regeneration programmes, including City Challenge, SRB, EU URBAN Initiative and New Deal for Communities Programme.
The Battle of Plassey.ppt (1,1 MB)
5 APR - A panel discussion on The Future of Bangladesh
1. Omar Faruk, called to the Bar in 1996 and was in private practice at the Chambers of Michael Mansfield QC and 3 Temple Gardens from 1997 until 2000. He spent two months assisting the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry and joined the Government Legal Service in April 2000. For his MBA thesis, he analysed the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000. He is the Chair of Southwark Muslim Forum and member of the Islamic Society of Britain.
2. Farah Kabir, Consultant Participative Democracy (British Council) and also currently studying for a PhD at Edinburgh University. She has extensive experience of working in gender and governance related issues and the author of many publications, including Invisible Traffic Jam:Women and Children and Women Influencing Policy: Bangladesh Experience.
3. Asaur Rahman, has been working in the City (for the past 10 years) as a Quantitative Analyst specialising in energy trading. He is a graduate of University College London, where he had also embarked on a PhD in Artificial Intelligence before moving to the City. He is the current chair of British Bangladeshi Professional Association (BBPA).