This is a translation version of the original video documentary which was than transcribed and translated from Bengali to English. A book with the title of History of Bangladeshis in Greater Manchester has been published and it will be distributed to the libraries, schools and universities. The interview took place on 27 March 2008, so information about his personal family information may have been changed.
8.39 Alhaj Abdul Roup Chowdhury
3.39.1 Life in Bangladesh: Alhaj Abdul Roup Chowdhury was born in the village of Gabdev, Nobigonj, district Hobigonj. His father’s name was Mohammed Chand Miah. There family was well maintained from the agricultural properties income. At that time there family tradition was that none of the Chowdhury family members would carry out any agricultural work. Workers would be used to do agricultural work. The pond found near their house would be ideal for fishing. At that time the cost of products wasn’t very expensive. 37.5kg of rice would cost around six to seven taka.
Mr Chowdhury was only able to pass his primary school education and was not able to pursue any further. At that time students used to learn most of the things at School. There was no need for any Teachers at home to teach the student. That time the Transport system was not that good, they had to walk by foot. The majority of School Teachers were Hindu. The Teachers were very good and polite. That time there was not many Teachers at School. He was the only Child to his mother and father. He doesn’t have any brothers or sisters.
3.39.2 Journey to the UK & Immigration:
He had an interest in coming to the U.K from the local Post Office. He found out that if you fill out a Postman or Postmaster voucher form and send it to UK. He didn’t believe in that but still he bought a form for 10 paisa from the Post Office. The Postmaster filled his form and he sent it to the UK. Within 3 Months he got the Voucher which meant he could come to the UK.
Before that they sent him another letter saying that they have accepted his Application and within few days they were going to send him a Voucher. After he received his letter he made his Passport from the Sylhet Passport office. In 1963 he came to UK. Including his ticket it cost him 9 hundred taka.
He had to sell his fathers and father in law’s paddy field to pay for his ticket. His father, father in law and Uncle came to the Airport with him to say good bye. His family were very upset to say goodbye to him. When he was in the Plane he was very scared.
His cousins’ brother received him from the Heathrow Airport and had taken him to the restaurant. His cousins’ brother worked in London in a restaurant and its name was (Golden Curry). Then he came to the Manchester Victoria station by train and his Uncle (Firoz Chowdhury) came to receive him.
3.39.3 Employment:
He was taken to the restaurant were his uncle (Mojid Chowdhury) was working. He stayed there with his Uncle. He found another job in a restaurant called (Kuhinoor), he used to work there as a Kitchen Staff. Then he had to get training quickly to become a chef because the Main Chef had to go to Bangladesh. Then he used to work there as a chef and weekly he used to get paid 12 pound.
As a Kitchen staff he used to get 7 pound per week. Free food but he had to stay another house were 20-25 Bangladeshi people stayed together but no one had to cook in the house because they eaten rice in a restaurant, they only slept in that house. On the day he was off he used have only bread. He worked there for 6 months.
Then he found another job in Blackburn as a chef. He burnt his left arm in that restaurant. He stayed in the hospital for 6 months, they told him to go back to Bangladesh. The government gave him 900 pound then he went to Bangladesh. He stayed in Bangladesh for 6 months and then he came back to the UK.
That time he didn’t get the permission to work in the UK but he used to get sick note pay. After 3 years he started to work again. He went back to Bangladesh and then came back; he got the permission from the doctor and started to work again. In Nottingham he started to work in the (Kuhinoor) restaurant as a chef.
After that he went to Sheffield and worked in a restaurant as a chef. He burnt his arm again in this restaurant. He went back to Bangladesh again. He came back to UK and started to work in the (Kuhinoor) restaurant in Manchester as a chef. In UK he worked for quiet few restaurants as a chef. His starting wages were 7 pound per week and then he used to get 80 pound per week and after that he retired from work.
3.39.4 Housing:
From the council he got a 4 bedroom house, and then after few months he bought his own house. At the moment he is living at this house. The council gave him a discount when he bought this house. That time people didn’t have radiators at home but there was hot water. They used to have coal to warm the house. They used to have a few blankets to warm themselves because of the cold. That time the weather was too cold, cloudy and foggy.
3.39.5 Social & Family:
In 1951 he got married. He came to UK after he had gotten married. He got married in his local area. In 1988 his wife came to the UK. That time he got 4 sons and 3 daughters. He couldn’t get his daughters to come to UK because their age was over but he managed to bring his sons to the UK. His daughters got married in Bangladesh.
His younger 2 sons used to go to school but his eldest son’s age was 17 and 18 so they started to work. Due to the English Language he didn’t know how to get to his house. He used to write his address and keep it in his possessions. If he couldn’t find the address then he showed his address to someone then they’ll tell him.
He used to travel by bus or train so he used to show the address at the counter. If he wants to buy something from the shop then the people used to help him. He went to Bangladesh and he got married again because of his first wife’s medical issue. His first wife gave him permission that he can marry again.
His first wife died in 1998 because of her illness. In 1994 he got married again and has got another 2 sons from his second wife. His 2 sons got the visa to come to UK. His second wife was in Bangladesh because he wasn’t working that time. So he didn’t have the permission to bring his wife to Britain.
Every year he tries to go to Bangladesh once or twice. In Bangladesh he has an old house and his sons bought houses in Sylhet. At that time there was a Pakistani shop to buy Halal food. There was not many shops compared to this time but there was cash and carry. When he first came to the UK more like English women would usually help, English men rarely did.
On his days off used to stay at home and he used to play cards with his friends. Sometimes he used to go to his Uncle’s house in Oldham. That time in Oldham they used to have toilet and bathroom outside of their house.
3.39.6 Conclusion:
He thinks his life is well established because he came to U.K. If he was in Bangladesh he would have had to face many problems. His sons are religious and they’re living happily with their families. His eldest two sons got married and they’re living happily. They have their own houses and are living with their wife’s, children and he is really proud of them.
At the moment he is retired and in his free time he goes to his son’s house and has fun with his grand children. Also he prays five times a day. He goes to Bangladesh every year because his wife in Bangladesh. He encourages his sons to help poor people in Bangladesh and also he would like to help poor people in Bangladesh.
He shares lots of experience about his life in UK. He also said to the young generation to do study and follow their religion. From his life story we can get a good experience and also we are able to know about the Bangladesh and Britain past life.