"Rana Taslim Uddin wants to baptize a street in the Martim Moniz area as 'Bangladesh Street'"

 

"In a meeting with the Bangladeshi community, its leader, Rana Taslim Uddin, delivered a short speech highlighting the fact that he had proposed 'the construction of a Bangladeshi Street here.' The video does not identify the street, only stating that 'here we have about 25 restaurants in this area. At the same time, this area has become our Bangladesh zone (...) We are still missing a part of the street for that. God willing, we will do it.'

The leader of the Bangladeshi community adds that 'God willing, one day, just like Brick Lane in England (*), this will be a Bangladesh street and, on that day, the Bangladesh street will be baptized here.'

'Your businesses will prosper and, at the same time, our society, our community... be kind to one another, be ready to help, and, at the same time, your goal is not just your business. There are two types of business. One type is a profitable business, another type is a social business. All of you must do social business.'

'Do not think that all the money is yours. Your business has other rights. Fulfill your rights so that you can create your own institution. A community institution, a social institution, and the name of Bangladeshis will remain in Portugal.'

'Likewise, we have to bring our identity here. Your restaurant, halal restaurant... we have other restaurants here, we have about 25 restaurants in this area. At the same time, this area has become our Bangladesh zone.'

'A few years ago, I proposed the construction of a Bangladesh street here. God willing, one day, just like Brick Lane in England (*), this will be a Bangladesh street and, on that day, the Bangladesh street will be baptized here. We are still missing a part of the street for that. God willing, we will do it. Your businesses will prosper and, at the same time, our society, our community... be kind to one another, be ready to help, and, at the same time, your goal is not just your business.'

Rana Taslim Uddin has made previous statements that generated some controversy. For instance, when he stated, also in a speech to the community, that 'If God is pleased, He will bring a solution to (Portuguese) society and guide this society toward the right path. If He is not pleased, then He will destroy this society.'

On another occasion, in statements to CNN regarding the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling that the ban on wearing the burqa and niqab in public places - as provided by the 2010 French law - was compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights, Rana Taslim Uddin said that this decision generated 'anxiety and fears: Martim Moniz is a Bangladesh and Pakistan zone, the burqa is used here.'

The leader of the Bangladeshi community added that 'the reaction of Muslims will depend on what is written in the final piece of legislation. It cannot be something against Muslims. If it is something about the face and expression, for security reasons, that is fine. There are already other countries doing it, and it does not cause issues,' Rana Taslim Uddin explained. However, if the law 'imposes dress codes' on Muslim women, Rana Taslim Uddin warned that this could constitute 'a violation of Islamic law.' Religious norms dictate 'a practice of not showing female forms' through the use of 'loose clothing,' and that is something all Muslims will want to maintain, he warned."

(*) Today, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, where Brick Lane sits, is home to the largest concentration of Bangladeshis in England and Wales. Census data from 2011 recorded that 32% of the borough’s population was of Bangladeshi ethnicity (including those born both in the UK and outside the UK), and that 15% of the borough’s total population was born in Bangladesh. The 2011 data recorded that 57% of the borough’s children (aged 0 to 15) were of Bangladeshi descent, making up the majority of the school population, and 18% of residents cited Bengali as their main language.