In the July 4 general election, 34 candidates of Bangladeshi descent are competing across various parties and as independents. Among them, six female candidates nominated by the Labour Party are seen as having strong prospects for victory.
The main opposition Labour Party has nominated eight candidates of Bangladeshi origin with four already serving as MPs and renominated: Rushanara Ali (Bethnal Green and Stepney), Rupa Huq (Ealing Central and Acton), Tulip Siddiq (Hampstead and Kilburn) and Apsana Begum (Poplar and Limehouse).
The Conservative Party has nominated two candidates: Atiq Rahman (Tottenham, North London) and Syed Saiduzzaman (Ilford South).
Six candidates of Bangladeshi descent are representing Workers Party of Britain. The Green Party nominated three Bangladeshi-origin candidates. Other Parties such as Reform UK, The Liberal Democrats, Socialist Party and Scottish Nationalist Party has nominated one candidate each with Bangladeshi origins.
Eleven candidates are running as independents.
In 2015, the number of British-Bangladeshi candidates in the UK parliamentary elections was 11, which rose to 14 in 2019.
This year's UK elections see a record number with 4,515 candidates contesting for 650 seats in the House of Commons. A total of 98 political parties, ranging from major to smaller entities, are participating in the ongoing UK elections.
There’s a strong competition as each constituency has at least five candidates, with the highest number being 13 for a single seat.
