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 15 December 2007, so information about his personal family information may have been changed.
8.28 Alhaj Keramoth Ali Ahmed
8.28.1 Life in Bangladesh:
Alhaj Keramoth Ali Ahmed was born in 1941, in the village of Pirerchock, Biyanibazar, Sylhet. His father’s name is late Moboshir Ali and his mother’s name was Mofura Bibi. His father was a lands owner and used to stay home and look after his property. He has 4 brothers and 1 sister and he is the youngest amongst of all of his siblings.
At that time, his village condition was not good. In the rainy season, his village used to drown down under the water for few months. At that time, they used to use the boats as the main transport to travel from one place to other. Now the road communication has been improved and all the motor transport can go into their village.
When he was child, he began his primary education from home and then he admitted to the local primary school, which was about a quarter mile away from his home. He used to walk to School. He studied there for about 2 or more years. In the rainy season, it was hard for him to go to school because he had to use a boat to go to school and sometimes people used to sink his boat for fun. Remembering the past, especially in rainy season, when he used to go to school that makes him very cheerful even today.
He moved to Chittagong because one of his relatives was living there. He admitted at “Collegiate School” in Chittagong and completed his Secondary School Certificate (SSC) form there. Then he moved to Dhaka and went to “Jaganath Degree Collage” and he completed his Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and BA degree.
At that time, he was thinking to come to England and study for about two years and go back to Bangladesh.
8.28.2 Journey to the UK & Immigration:
One of his siblings insisted that he should come to Britain. He went to the Karachi with his friend and sorted out all the paper work. He spent about 2,000 Rupees including the flights. Before he left home, he took some money with him and his friend gave him some money, so it was enough money for him to come in England.
In May 1961, he came to Heathrow from Karachi by PIA airlines. At that time he felt that the weather was really cold in England. Before he left home, he brought one of his relative’s addresses with him, when he came to London. He went to this address in Aldgate, London. From London he came to Birmingham and then he went to Preston.
8.28.3 Life in the UK:
At that time, it was very difficult to do Salah and fasting during the month of Ramadan. He said, “When I came to Rochdale, I have seen that people are performing Salah and fasting as well in the month of Ramadan”. There was a Mosque in Rochdale known as the “Sonali Mosque” and on every Friday he used to go to this Mosque to do the prayer.
He also said “While I was living in Leicester, I never seen anyone performing Salah and pasting during Ramadan and celebrating Eid”. It was a very difficult time, in the past. The children are getting the higher education from universities and doing good businesses and employment. The new generation is far more advanced than the previous generations and is making contribution to the British society politically, socially and economically. Since the arrival of Muslim Bangladeshi people, the community has been developed.
He has been living in the UK for the last 40 years, and has seen and learnt many things. He said “we have faced a lot of discrimination; many foreigners are suffering in silence”. Apart from the Doctors and Engineers, other degree holders, did not get the recognitions. When someone obtained a Diploma Course or Degree in the UK, they would be hassled if they had gotten a good job.
For them reasons, many of the highly educated people used to work in the factories or restaurants.
8.28.4 Employment & Business:
He had a job in a Restaurant which was in Preston and he worked there as a waiter. Beside his employment, he started an English language course near to his work place. After working there for few days he was bored so he went to Leicester. He found a job on the Birmingham Railways and worked there as a guard.
A few days later, he transferred his job to Leicester, where he was residing. He admitted to college to do further study. He used to work overtime as well, he used to work about 42 hours every week and his weekly wages were £10.00 – £12.00. He found that after working, it was really hard to maintain college at the same time. So, he decided to leave his job and continue studying at college.
He left the Railway job and found a job in the factory. The name of the factory was “Tizer Brooks”. His weekly wages were £15.00 and he worked there for 3 years. At that time his brother was very ill and he went to Bangladesh in 1966. His brother died and he decided to stay there for few more days. He had gotten married and left his wife in Bangladesh and came back to England.
After coming back from Bangladesh, he re-joined with the Railway. He took his holidays and came to Oldham to buy a house because houses were cheap in Oldham. At that time, he used to live with his friend and got a job in a cotton mill. After working there for few weeks he found a bus contractor job in Rochdale and he moved there.
He used to work 70-80 hours a week including overtime and he used to get £30.00 – £40.00. At that time, it was 9 pence per person to come from Rochdale to Oldham by bus. He worked in the bus for 4 years and bought a house in Rochdale for £400.00.
In 1970 he left the bus job and bought 4 machines and started garments manufacturing. In 1978, when the industry declined in the UK, he had no choice but close down his business. In 1979, he established a restaurant in Oldham, known as the “Himalay Restaurant”. This was a partnership business and he ran this business until 1990.
8.28.5 Social & Family:
In 1966 he got married and 1967, he brought his wife to England, at that time there were three more Bengali families living in Rochdale. One of them was known as Abdul Karim, he had a grocery shop in Rochdale.
He is a very hard working person and did not do just employment or business, in his spare time he was dedicated to the community. As a result of his active involvement with the community, in 2000, he became the first Bangladeshi origin Councillor in Rochdale MBC to serve the local community.
8.28.6 Independence of Bangladesh:
In 1971, Sheik Mujibur Rahman declared the movement for Bangladesh independence. The Bangladesh Association in Rochdale was formed at that time and he became the General Secretary. While he was in Leicester he was also involved with the Association run by Bangladeshi and Pakistani people. In 1970, in Rochdale there were about 350 Bangladeshi.
After achieving the independence of Bangladesh, he did not think it has been benefited to the public. He said much of the Bangladeshi people hoped that it would be better, if Bangladesh became independence but unfortunately only 10% may be achieved by becoming independent country, as he doubted.
Bangladeshis are behind due to the fact that they brought their families in the late 70’s & 80’s, so a new community emerged in Great Britain. The first generation Bangladeshi, when they brought their families in the UK, their children immediately entered into employment in order to support their elderly parents. So, you cannot blame the second generation for not concentrating on education, simply, they did not have any choice.
8.28.7 Conclusion:
He said “the new generation claimed to be westernize or semi westernize and therefore losing the identity of Bangladeshi”. The parents should teach their children to be patriotic for their motherland. At the same time the Bangladesh government can play a vital role to facilitate these young people to get involved in developing a nation of Bangladesh, and then they will take some interest.
He is father of 2 sons and 2 daughters. All of his children are graduated from UK. He has 8 grandchildren. He wants to stay a few days in Bangladesh and a few days in the UK, due to his family commitment in the UK.