Bangladeshis in London and Tower Hamlets: Community Activism and the Local State

After introducing the Bangladeshi community in multi-ethnic Tower Hamlets and outlining the key events during the pandemic between 2020 and 2022, the chapter draws on the qualitative data which enabled us to explore the different ways in which the activists contributed to the meso level between the state and Bangladeshi citizens in the borough. The activists drew on the political and community networks which have developed over the last 40 years as Bangladeshis became the dominant force in local politics. These networks helped them to combat the considerable scepticism about government advice, which was weakened by disagreements between them and scientists and distrust towards big business who were often seen as taking advantage of the emergency. The interviews with both the ‘non-experts’ and ‘experts’ also illustrated the economic problems caused by the government’s restrictions for families, which relied on members having to go out to work, as well as the various ways in which state regulations were observed and the importance placed on ‘playing the game’ even when state regulations disrupted the Muslim ritual calendar. Other important themes were trust in relation to the state and the different ways in which public institutions such as cemeteries interpreted state regulations; the part played by funeral directors in bending the rules in order to show compassion to the bereaved, and the importance of digital communications in facilitating the flow of information and images between the locality and the wider world, especially Bangladesh, and the issue of digital exclusion. Some of the data raised the issue of people’s reaction to the virus as a curse and feelings of shame around death caused by the virus. Finally, the support provided by middle-class residents emphasised the importance of looking beyond the Bangladeshi community to wider definitions of community.