Causes of Immigration
The reasons why Bangladeshis immigrated to the United Kingdom include the need to find work, earn a better living and to escape conflict. Large numbers of Bangladeshi men emigrated to London to search for employment during the 1950s and the 1960s. Bangladesh has witnessed a series of political upheavals, starting with the end of British India in 1947 when countries were partitioned by religious terms. The majority of these people settled in industrial cities and towns such as Birmingham, Luton, Bedford, Oldham, Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, Liverpool, Sunderland and Tower Hamlets, particularly around Spitalfields and Brick Lane. Many of them came from the Sylhet region - which is located in the north-east of Bangladesh.
In the 1970s, changes in immigration laws encouraged a wave of Bangladeshis to come to the UK and settle. Job opportunities were initially limited to low paid sectors, with unskilled jobs in small factories and the textile trade being especially common. But when the 'Indian' restaurant business developed, some Sylhetis started to open cafes as businesses. From these small beginnings and developments, a network of Bangladeshi restaurants, shops and banks became established in Brick Lane and the surrounding areas. The influence of Bangladeshi culture and diversity can be seen across London in boroughs such as Tower Hamlets, Newham, Camden and Southwark
Read more about this topic: History Of Bangladeshis In The United Kingdom
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“The admission of Oriental immigrants who cannot be amalgamated with our people has been made the subject either of prohibitory clauses in our treaties and statutes or of strict administrative regulations secured by diplomatic negotiations. I sincerely hope that we may continue to minimize the evils likely to arise from such immigration without unnecessary friction and by mutual concessions between self-respecting governments.”
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