Today, I am joined by Dr Fatima Rajina and Hajera Begum of Nijjor Manush, an independent campaign group which empowers and educates Bengalis and Bangladeshis in the UK.
Brick Lane’s legacy is synonymous with Bangladeshi cuisine, culture and history. It is both a symbol of struggle and success for Bangladeshis, from Altab Ali to infamous curry houses and everything in-between. It’s somewhere I frequented during my childhood as a Tower Hamlets resident, and now as an adult. I saw it through the lens of unadulterated fascination as a child, and now through the reality of gentrification. The Old Truman Brewery plans to build a five storey shopping complex in the middle of it. We discuss whether this gentrification of Banglatown is an inevitable response to changing consumer demand and economic growth, while also questioning the broader, underhanded motivations at play. We also talk about the potential impact of gentrification on first and second generation Bangladeshi women in East London.
We consider whether there is a sense of solidarity in the UK between different South Asian ethnic groups and also within the Bangladeshi diaspora itself. We each talk about our experiences as British Bangladeshis growing up in the UK, as well as the experiences of our families.
The portrayal of Bangladeshi, and particularly Muslim, Hijabi women in the media can be incendiary and damaging. The current mainstream feminist narrative simultaneously portrays Muslim women as threatening and oppressed, invalidating their agency and undermining their integrity. We share our perspectives on this narrative and whether we think it will ever evolve.
Follow Nijjor Manush on Twitter: @nijjormanush and Instagram: @nijjormanush.
If you enjoy listening to this podcast, please consider supporting it so it can continue to provide you with engaging, meaningful content. You can donate via Patreon: www.patreon.com/browndontfrownpod.
Season 3: Ep 28 - Inequalities, Opportunities and Progress among women in the South Asian diaspora
Season 3: Ep 27 - In conversation with Voices of Colour on the importance of mentorships, networking and representation
Season 3: Ep 26 - The power of Artificial Intelligence, pandemic data sharing, and gender disaggregated data
Season 3: Ep 25 - Voices of the South Asian diaspora: Why Mental Health matters
Season 3: Ep 24 - In the aftermath: Decolonising the Curriculum, Authentic Allyship, and Intersectional Storytelling
Season 3: Ep 23 - In conversation with WEN: Environmenstrual week, Garden Therapy and Sustainable Alternatives
Season 3: Ep 22 - Bereavement, Barriers & Breaking Stereotypes
Season 3: Ep 21 - Climate Change: an inconvenient reality
TRAILER: Season 3
LIVE PODCAST: Housing Stories of the South Asian diaspora in collaboration with #SouthAsianHeritageMonth
Season 2: Ep 20 - Reclaiming Sex: Positivity, Pleasure & Power
Season 2: Ep 19 - A review of Netflix’s ‘Never Have I Ever’: Sassy, predictable, hard-hitting.
Season 2: Ep 18 - Black Lives Matter: White Denialism, Colourism, and the desensitisation of Black Trauma
Season 2: Ep 17 - What is a woman? Exploring Gender, Sex, and Sexuality (Part II)
Season 2: Ep 16 - What is a woman? Exploring Gender, Sex, and Sexuality (Part I)
Season 2: Ep 15 - Feminism and Political Correctness: Have we strayed too far?
Season 2: Ep 14 - Identity Politics, Intersectionality and Freedom of Speech
Season 2: Ep 13 - Do we need a Feminist Foreign Policy?
Season 2: Ep 11 - Coronavirus Special: A compilation of Whatsapp voice notes
Season 1: Ep 10 - Women in Publishing: representation, well-being and safe spaces
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