British Bangladeshi Power & Inspiration 100 (previously known as British Bangladeshi Power 100 and often abbreviated as BBPower100) is an annual publication listing the 100 leading British Bangladeshi figures. It was established in 2012 and also holds an annual launch ceremony in London, England.
The British Bangladeshi Power 100 is a celebration of leading British citizens of Bangladesh origin who are helping shape Britain for the better with their ideas, example, talent, success[1] and inspiration.[2] It is a who's who, which recognises the achievements in the Bangladeshi community including sports personalities, politicians, business people and legal eagles.[2] In 2013, the list was renamed British Bangladeshi Power & Inspiration 100 to emphasise the role models featured on the list.[3]
Panel
The British Bangladeshi Power was created and edited by Tower Hamlets Cllr Abdal Ullah, who was the first British Bangladeshi to serve on the Metropolitan Police Authority and is a Labour elected councillor[4] for St Dunstan's and Stepney Green, and Ayesha Qureshi MBE, who worked on the 2012 Olympics bid.[5][6]
Categories
Each category has 10 positions which are listed in rank order. The rankings have been determined by an advisory committee of leading Bangladeshi UK based newspaper editors headed by chief advisor, Mohammed Nobab Uddin, Editor, Janomot Bengali Newsweekly, the oldest ethnic newspaper. The British Bangladeshi Power 100 is consulted on widely amongst a selected group of leading figures in the community,[7] including Iqbal Wahhab OBE and Syed Nahas Pasha.[1] Each person or organisation named on the list has earned their place on merit after a confidential, impartial and thorough debate.[8]
In 2012, the list was broken down into 10 different categories covering business, catering, education, community and voluntary organisations, media, politics and as well as the women who have made a mark.[7] In 2013, the list was extended into 20 different categories including politics, entrepreneur, brand, policy/civil service, legal, academic/think tanker, medical, the city/finance, community activist, media, culture, community personality, restaurateur, professional, networks and associations, sport, religious figure, 30 and under, community organisation, and emerging influence.[9][10][11][12] 35 new entries were added into the list. All those categorised under "Emerging Influence" were new inclusions and there were no new entries into the category "Entrepreneur" and "Restaurateur".[9][12]
In 2014, for first time, the general public participated in the selection process by nominating their most inspiring figures in British Bangladeshi society. The Judges awarded the People's Choice places to five people who demonstrated examples of success and inspiration.[13][14][15][16][17] Also in 2014, the list includes "10 Inspirational Bangladeshis Around The World", a top ten of Bangladeshis around the world.[13]
In 2015, two new categories – the Critics' Choice and Westminster Hopefuls – highlighting British Bangladeshi individuals who have been selected as prospective parliamentary candidates for the next general election, were introduced.[18]
Past events
Original logo
On 24 January 2012, during a press conference at Portcullis House in Westminster, London Abdal Ullah, Ayesha Qureshi MBE and Nobab Uddin launched the first British Bangladeshi Power 100 list.[8]
On 27 January 2014, the list was announced in a Commonwealth Room at the Houses of Parliament.[13] The top 100 names were announced by figures including Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Rt. Hon Danny Alexander MP, Anne Main MP (Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Bangladesh Group), Dame Tessa Jowell MP, Lord Karan Bilimoria, Mijarul Quayes Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK and a number of other MPs and dignitaries were in attendance.[14][20]
On 2 February 2016, notable guests included British politicians Lord Karan Bilimoria, Paul Scully MP, Anne Main MP, Karen Buck MP, Sir Keir Starmer MP, Ronnie Campbell MP, Greater London Authority Member Murad Qureshi and Bangladesh High Commissioner Mohammed Abdul Hannan at the ceremony at London's City Hall. Among the most influential in the list are British Ambassador to Peru Anwar Choudhury Ambassador to Philippines Asif Ahmad, Musician Shapla Salique, Choreographer Akram Khan, Nohshad Shah, MD of Goldman Sachs, Professor Moorad Choudhry, Chief Executive of Habib Bank AG Zurich, Businessmen Iqbal Ahmed OBE, Amin Ali and in Politics three MP's Rushanara Ali, Tulip Siddiq and Rupa Huq.[23]
Notable entries
Notable entries in the British Bangladeshi Power 100 have included Ruby Hammer MBE, who started off as a make-up artist and went on to become a successful entrepreneur. Ajmal Hossain QC, a barrister.[2] Other prominent names include Iqbal Ahmed OBE (Chairman of the Seamark Group), Sapnara Khatun (barrister and judge), Asif Anwar Ahmad (Ambassador to Thailand), Prof Moorad Choudhry (Treasurer RBS) and Mihir Bose (sports journalist), Shadow Education Minister Rushanara Ali, Prospective Parliamentary candidate Tulip Siddiq, former British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Anwar Choudhury and current British Ambassador to the Dominican Republic and Haiti Mockbul Ali.[13]
In 2013, included in the entrepreneur and business section were Telecoms managing director Naufal Zamir[5][6] The list also revealed less well known and emerging faces such as Sabirul Islam (the "Teen-Trepreneur"), Rahima Begum (founder of human rights charity Restless Beings) and Zoe Rahman.[1] In 2014, the list also contained less well-known and emerging faces such as Rupa Huq (Labour Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Ealing at the time and current MP) and Zubair Hoque Formula 4 Racing Driver.[13]
In 2013, the list also recognised the contribution made by British Bangladeshis to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games including names such as Akram Khan MBE (choreographer and performer at the Olympic Games opening ceremony), Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari (LOCOG board member and Chairman of the East London Mosque), Saiman Miah (Olympic £5 coin designer), PC Sakira Suzia (Olympic torch security team) and Ayesha Qureshi MBE (London 2012 bid member).[1]
In 2014, Nobel laureate and Grameen Bank founder Dr Muhammad Yunus ranked top of "10 Inspirational Bangladeshis Around The World".[25][26][27] Among others, the list also includes YouTube founder Jawed Karim, Brac's founder and chairperson Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, founder of Khan Academy Salman Khan, JAAGO Foundation's founder Korvi Rakshand, lawyer Sara Hossain, cricketer Shakib Al Hasan, CEO of Medtronic Omar Ishrak, founder of Sumazi.com Sumaya Kazi and Everest climber Nishat Mazumder.[28][29][30][31]
In 2015, Judge Khatun Sapnara was named the "Person of the Year" in recognition of her "outstanding achievement" as the first person of British Bangladeshi origin to acquire a senior judicial position.[18][21][32][33][34] The list also included oncologist Prof Nazneen Rahman; Dr Irene Zubaida Khan, chancellor of the University of Salford; Baroness Pola Uddin; diplomat Anwar Choudhury; executive mayor of London Lutfur Rahman; lawmaker Rushanara Ali; author Tahmima Anam and captain Naveen Rahman of British Army.[35]
In 2016, Nadiya Hussain, was named the "Person of the Year" for pioneering achievement.[23][36]
Muhammad Yunus is a Bangladeshi economist, entrepreneur, politician, and civil society leader, who has been serving as Chief Adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh since 8 August 2024. Yunus was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for founding the Grameen Bank and pioneering the concepts of microcredit and microfinance. Yunus has received several other national and international honors, including the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2010.
The University of Chittagong is a public research university located in Hathazari, Chattogram, Bangladesh. It was established on 18 November 1966. It is one of the oldest universities in Bangladesh. Its 2,312.32 acres (935.76 ha) campus is the largest among universities in Bangladesh. It is one of the four autonomous by the act universities of Bangladesh.
The Bangla Academy is the official regulatory body of the Bengali language in Bangladesh. It is an autonomous institution funded by the Government of Bangladesh that fosters the Bengali language, literature and culture, works to develop and implement national language policy and conducts original research in Bengali. Established in 1955, it is located in the Burdwan House in Shahbagh, Dhaka, within the grounds of the University of Dhaka and Suhrawardy Udyan. The Bangla Academy hosts the annual Ekushey Book Fair.
Sirajganj District is a district in the North Bengal region of Bangladesh, located in the Rajshahi Division. It is the 25th largest district by area and 9th largest district by population in Bangladesh. It is known as the gateway to North Bengal.
Moulvibazar, also spelled Moulabhibazar,Maulvibazar, Moulavibazar, and Maulavibazar, is the southeastern district of Sylhet Division in northeastern Bangladesh, named after the town of Moulvibazar. It is bordered by the Indian states of Tripura and Assam to the south and east, respectively; by the Bangladeshi districts of Habiganj to the west and Sylhet to the north.
Rushanara Ali is a British politician who has served as a Member of Parliament (MP) since 2010 and as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Homelessness and Rough Sleeping since July 2024. A member of the Labour Party, she was the first British Bangladeshi elected to Parliament.
Sayed Ashraful Islam was a Bangladesh Awami League politician. He was the General Secretary of the Bangladesh Awami League party. He served as a Member of Parliament and Minister of Public Administration of the Government of Bangladesh. Ashraful Islam also served for a time as Minister of Local Government and Rural Development and Co-operative.
Sahara Khatun was a Bangladesh Awami League politician and a cabinet minister. She was the incumbent Jatiyo Sangsad member representing the Dhaka-18 constituency, and was the presidium member of the party.
Abed Khan is a Bangladeshi journalist and columnist. He has been an influential figure in the Bangladeshi news industry in various capacities for five decades. Khan is currently editor and publisher of the Dhaka-based daily Jagaran and is the former chief executive officer and chief editor of ATN News.
Tulip Rizwana Siddiq is a British Labour Party politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Hampstead and Highgate, previously Hampstead and Kilburn, since 2015. She has served as Economic Secretary to the Treasury and City Minister since 9 July 2024.
Khatun Sapnara is a Bangladeshi-born British judge. In 2006, she was appointed a Recorder of the Crown Court, becoming the first person of Bangladeshi origin in a senior judicial position. In 2014, she was appointed as a Circuit Judge to hear cases in the Crown and Family Court.
Bajloor Rashid, is a Bangladeshi-born British restaurateur, philanthropist and humanitarian. From 2006 to 2012, he was the president for the Bangladesh Caterers Association UK.
Syed Nahas Pasha is a Bangladeshi-born British journalist, and editor-in-chief of Janomot and Curry Life.
Jelina Rahman-Berlow is a British solicitor whose practice J R Rahman Solicitors specialises in human rights, asylum, family and immigration legal advice and assistance.
Leesa Gazi is a Bangladeshi-born British writer, playwright, theatre director and actress based in London.
Muhammad Ibrahim is a Bangladeshi academic. He is a former professor of physics at University of Dhaka. He is the moderator of the show Desh o Biggyan on Bangladesh Television. He is the editor of Bigyan Shamoiki, the first monthly science magazine of Bangladesh. Since January 2015, he has been serving as a professor of the General Education Department at University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB).
Najmul Hasan Zahed was a Bangladesh Awami League politician and a member of parliament for Habiganj-2.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
