Bangladeshi origin 31 candidates are set to contest the UK’s national elections on July 4. These candidates come from various political backgrounds, including the Labour Party, Conservative Party, Scottish National Party, Liberal Democrats, and several independents.

Among these candidates, Md Somon Ahmed stands out as an independent candidate for the Bethnal Green and Stepney constituency. Ahmed, a civil engineer and quantity surveyor, is the founder of ConstructionAid Professionals Ltd and several other social enterprises. He has been actively involved in community service, particularly in assisting vulnerable individuals with immigration issues and supporting the Bangladeshi community both in the UK and Bangladesh.

This election, 4,379 candidates will compete for 650 seats across the UK. The participation of Bangladeshi-origin candidates is particularly notable in constituencies with significant Muslim and Bangladeshi populations, where issues like the Gaza conflict have influenced the political landscape. In these areas, independent candidates are also making a substantial impact, highlighting diverse viewpoints within the community.

Bangladeshi-origin candidates are: 1. Rushanara Ali (Bethnal Green & Bow), Apsana Begum (Poplar & Limehouse), Tulip Rizwana Siddiq (Labour, Hampstead and Highgate), Dr Rupa Asha Huq (Labour, Ealing Central and Acton), Nurul Hoque Ali (Labour, Gordon and Buchan), Rumi Chowdhury (Labour, Witham), Rufia Ashraf (Labour, South Northamptonshire), Attic Rahman (Conservative, Tottenham), Syed Shamim Ahsan (Syduzzaman Syed), (Conservative, Ilford South), Naz Anis-Miah (Scottish National Party (SNP), Dunfermline and Dollar), Rabina KHAN (Liberal Democrats, Bethnal Green & Stepney), Ajmal MASROOR (Independent, Bethnal Green & Stepney), Sham Uddin (Independent, Bethnal Green & Stepney), Ehtashamul Haque (Independent, Poplar & Limehouse), Wais Islam (Independent, Holborn and St Pancras), Barrister Omar Faruk (Independent, Startford and Bow), Syed Siddiqi (Green Party, Ilford South), Noor Jahan Begum (Independent, Ilford South), Golam Tipu (Workers Party, Ilford South), Mohammed Shahed Hussain (Workers Party, Hackney South Shoreditch), Raj Farhad (Reform Party, Ilford South), Najmul Hussian (Labour, Brigg and Immingham), Prince Sadiq Chaudury ( Workers Party, Bedford), Md Somon Ahmed (Independent, Bethnal Green & Stepney), Raja Miah (Independent, Oldham West, Chadderton and Royston), Nizam Ali (Independent, Stratford and Bow), Halima Khan (Independent, Stratford and Bow), Abul Kalam Azad (Independent, Bexhill and Battle), Faisal Kabir (Workers party, Altrincham and Sale West), Syed Samsuzzaman (Shams) (Green Party, Oldham West, Chadderton and Royston), Mohhammed Bilal (Workers Party, Manchester Rusholme).

Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan