In the UK's general election, four MPs of Bangladeshi origin Tulip Siddiq, Rushanara Ali, Afsana Begum and Rupa Huq have been re-elected, continuing their roles as representatives in parliament.
All of them are from the Labour Party.
A total of 34 candidates of Bangladeshi descent competed across various parties and as independents for different seats.
Tulip Siddiq
Labour's Tulip Siddiq secured 23,432 votes in Hampstead and Highgate, marking a slight increase of 0.7% from the previous election. Meanwhile, the Conservative candidate, Don Williams, received 8,462 votes, experiencing a decrease of 5.8% in share compared to the previous contest.
Siddiq joined the party at the age of only 16. Her career spans roles in organizations like Amnesty International and the Greater London Authority. Siddiq has campaigned extensively on local issues and held advisory roles for prominent Labour figures.
Rushanara Ali
Rushanara Ali has been re-elected in Bethnal Green and Bow, receiving 15,896 votes. Ali has held her seat since 2010. She was the first person of Bangladeshi origin to be elected in Britain's House of Commons.
Before politics came into the scene, she focused on human rights at the Foreign Office and conducted research on anti-discrimination at the Institute of Public Policy Research. Ali has contributed political articles and appeared on national media platforms, recognized as one of Britain's most influential Muslim women by The Guardian in 2009.
Two other candidates of Bangladeshi descent, independent candidate Ajmal Mashroor got 14,207 votes, while Rabina Khan of the Liberal Democratic Party secured third place with 4,777 votes for the same seat.
Apsana Begum
Apsana Begum was re-elected in Poplar and Limehouse with 18,535 votes, as opposed to Green Party’s Nathalie Bienfait who only received 5,975 votes. Begum first became an MP in 2019.
Begum has been vocal on issues such as Islamophobia, Covid-19 impacts on marginalized communities, and opposition to Julian Assange's extradition. She has also been active in advocating for Palestinian rights, leading to criticism and calls for party action at times.
Her ex-husband, Ehtashamul Haque lost with 4,554 votes in the same constituency.
Rupa Huq
Rupa Huq, representing Ealing Central and Acton, secured 22,340 votes. She beat her Conservative competitor by a huge margin as James Windsor-Clive managed to win only 8,345 votes.
Before entering politics, Huq was a sociologist and author who lectured at the University of Manchester from 1998 to 2004 and then served as a senior lecturer at Kingston University until 2015. She specializes in youth culture and pop music.
Others who lost
The first time candidates could not manage to win their respective seats. Labour candidates Rumi Chowdhury in Witham, Rufia Ashraf in South Northamptonshire, Nurul Huq Ali in Gordon and Buchan, and Najmul Hussain in Brigg and Immingham were unsuccessful in their bids for election, losing their respective seats.
Rufia Ashraf, Rumi Chowdhury, and Najmul Hussain each secured second place in their respective constituencies, against their Conservative opponents.
Rufia Ashraf received 15,504 votes against Sarah Bool, Rumi Chowdhury garnered 13,682 votes against Priti Patel, and Najmul Hussain obtained 12,662 votes against Martin Vickers. Meanwhile, Nurul Hoque Ali received 4,686 votes.
