Bangladeshi Community in Wales
Who?
The Bangladeshi community has been in the UK since as early as the 1800s, where there are records of Bengalis amongst other South Asians who travelled to the UK to work under the East India Company. There are an upwards of 15,000 people who identified as Bangladeshi in Wales in 2021, and this is a mixture of families who have migrated generations ago along with more recent influxes of refugees along with migrants. They speak Bengali, however there are many different dialects across Bangladesh, with the most commonly spoken one being Sylheti.
Why?
Many Bengalis migrated to the UK after the second World War, as there was a gap in the economy and many south Asians were encouraged by the UK government to fill the labour market gaps. However, in more recent decades, there has been a higher influx of migration, due to a variety of reasons such as joining their families already living here, or for better economic prospects or higher education. Additionally, after the partition of 1947, there was a significant number of refugees, especially non-Muslim Bengalis who felt as though the Muslim state of East Pakistan (Bangladesh at the time) was not a safe space for them to live. There were also a number of refugees generated after the 1971 War of Independence for Bangladesh, however the majority of Bengalis in the UK are either migrants or descendants of migrants.
Welsh support:
Wales has long had a history of welcoming the Bangladeshi community, with a number of groups dedicated to organising events, celebrating culture and providing a safe environment. Examples include the Bangladeshi Women’s Association Wales and the Centre for British Bangladeshis. There are also religious sites such as the Shah Jalal Mosque which has been a vibrant area for Muslim Bengalis to congregate, along with hosting classes teaching about their language, culture and history. There is also the Wales Bangladesh Centre of Commerce which has aimed to improve business relations between Wales and Bangladesh since 2011.
