Members of Bangalee community fended off looters and chased them out of neighbourhoods in London that saw a lull in violence yesterday after three days of rioting.
In Whitechapel, home to Britain’s largest Bangladeshi population, Bangalee youths, who had gathered for evening prayers outside East London Mosque, had chased 70 masked rioters out of the neighbourhood on August 8 night, reports British national daily The Independent.
“There’s a real sense of community here, especially during Ramadan when people are supposed to look out for each other,” said Abdul Jalil, the manager of the Deshi Fish grocery store opposite the mosque.
“The shutters will come down this evening but I’m going to stick around in case the rioters come into the area again,” he said.
Mahbub Alam, 35, the proprietor of a computer shop in East London, said their intervention reflected the determination of the community to protect itself from the mob and make sure its shops and cafes did not suffer the same fate as others across the capital, reports The Daily Telegraph.
Akikur Rahman, a resident of Whitechapel, said, “We’re going to stand united to defend our community.”
Rushanara Ali, lawmaker for Bethnal Green and Bow, visited the area yesterday and talked to locals.
The locals believed the rioters came from other boroughs, she said.
Councillor Josh Peck, leader of the Tower Hamlets Labour Party, said, “There is no excuse for the mindless criminality that we saw in Tower Hamlets last night.”
“It is important that residents remain calm, make sure they know their children are at home and look out for one another in the days and nights ahead,” said Josh Peck.
Meanwhile, Bangalee community leaders urged all to unite against the rioters and help restore law and order in London and elsewhere in the country.
The call came at an emergency meeting on Tuesday at Bangladesh Welfare Association in London.
They condemned the violence that continued for three days on Bethnal Green Road, Roman Road, and at Whitechapel in Tower Hamlets in the city.
Considering the prevailing situation, the authorities should put a ban on the proposed march by the English Defence League in Tower Hamlets on September 3, which is designed to whip up fear and incite violence, the leaders said.
-With The Daily Star input
