The Bengalis of London's Brick Lane

The next time you enjoy London’s beloved Indian curry in Brick Lane, it is most likely that you’re eating it at a Bangladeshi restaurant. In fact, around 80 percent of Indian restaurants in the UK are apparently Bangladeshi restaurants owned and run by Bangladeshis.

Brick Lane in 2010 (left) and in 1895 (right) (PHOTOS: Wiki Commons [Left] and Collage -The London Picture Archive [Right] )

But beyond looking at the geographic distinctions between India and Bangladesh, Brick Lane in East London is home to generations of Bengalis from both countries. Starting with a wave of immigration from British India in the 15th century, there are now over 350,000 Bengalis in the UK.

The Bengal region is spread across West Bengal in India and Bangladesh today. Most of the Bengalis that make up the community in Brick Lane originate from Bangladesh, especially from the Sylhet region, and others from India. Bengalis from the Indian part are mostly Hindu while their Bangladeshi counterparts are predominantly Muslim.

“First I lived in British India, then I lived in East Pakistan, and now I live in Britain,” said a Haringey councillor, encapsulating the complexity of Bengali history and the consequence of the British Empire.

Today, the famous curry houses in Brick Lane are testament to the Bengali community’s contribution to the popular market. The curry from the Bangladeshi restaurants form an integral part of Brick Lane’s façade as much as its Sunday market, graffiti, and vintage shops.

The official signage for Brick Lane is also written in Bengali and in 1997 Banglatown became the official name for Brick Lane and the surrounding area. This came about after a campaign by local community activists to gain recognition for the largest Bengali settlement in the UK.

The Brick Lane signage in Bengali PHOTO: Wiki Commons

Today, the Brick Lane Jamme Masjid or Mosque is a grade-II listed building, having functioned as a Huguenot Chapel in 1743, a Methodist church and a Jewish Synagogue before becoming what it is in 1976.