Zoe Renfew

Bengali Journals and Journalism in Britain (1916-2007)

Bengalis have always been a politically aware people; take a group of Bengalis anywhere in the UK and it won’t be long before they start discussing politics and Bangladesh. Far from being a passive community when they first came to Britain in the 1960’s and 70’s, Bengali immigrants sought to influence social and political frameworks both within the UK and back in their strife-torn homeland. Although it proved harder to influence events in Bangladesh, the result of their efforts in the UK is a collective voice that goes back one hundred years, recorded in the many Bengali newspapers, journals and anthologies founded during this time.

Bengali journals and journalism in Britain 1916-2007 by Faruque Ahmed is the first book to document these journals and acknowledge the huge debt owed to the band of journalists and writers who founded and established such pioneering newspapers and periodicals.

First published from London in Bengali under the title ‘Bengali Journals and Journalism in Britain 1916-2000’, this updated English version has now been published in America by Lulu Publications to include journals produced up to 2007. As such, the book provides not only a fascinating history of Bengali immigrants and their social integration into the UK, but also a chronicle of Britain itself as the nation struggled to adapt over the turbulence of two World Wars to its changing role in the world order and subsequent influx of immigrants from countries within the former British Empire. “Bengali journals have documented the lives of this ethnic community; they represent their dreams and thoughts and anxieties” says Mr Ahmed and his account is told through over 100 Bengali journals that were published in the UK as journalists discuss issues relating to state intervention into ethnic community life, welfare programmes, state legislation and government initiatives designed to further the process of integration into British life.

The book contains original copies of these papers with photographs and biographical sketches of over fifty prominent Bengali journalists. Mr Ahmed has carried out exhaustive research contacting and interviewing the people who played a part in the production of these documents, gleaning much factual and historically important information whilst being consistently authentic and objective.

We learn for example that the first Bengali publication was a fortnightly paper, Satyabini that was distributed freely in India and Bengal. Published on November 1, 1916, the paper was part of a British Government propaganda attempt to win support from India for World War 1 featuring the heroic role played by Indian soldiers during the war and welfare activities of the British Government within Asia.

Intertwined with the cultural development of the Bengali press is the story of how immigrants settled in Britain, how they became a part of the nation, establishing business and sending their children to local schools and gradually became assimilated into local politics where they now occupy an important role in the governance of the country.

As a unique insight into one of the most important cultural and social change of the 20th century, this book is a must for any Bengali living in the UK and indeed for anyone interested in the history of ethnicity in the country.

Faruque Ahmed has worked as a journalist on several Bengali newspapers and magazines and is a published lyricist who has written books and articles on history and politics. He has been involved in Bengali Literary and cultural activities in Bangladesh and the UK for twenty years. Mr Faruque who lives in Enfield, Middlesex who also runs a Bangladeshi/Indian restaurant in Highgate in London.

His current work-in-progress focuses on the incidents leading to the war of liberation in 1971 in Bangladesh and will be published in Bengali and English later on this year.

Bengali Journals and Journalism in Britain 1916-2007 is available in hardback from amazon.com ISBN: 978-0-557-05113-7 £27.50 and from lulu.com £25.63.