Bangla Town: A Community in Transition 1991.
Over a period of about 3 months in the summer of 1991 I would walk back from my then photo agency Select in Wapping and pass through the heart of the Bangladeshi community in the UK where Brick Lane's southern end is connected to Whitechapel High Street in The London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which was officially renamed as Banglatown in 1997, as a substantial proportion of the local residential population are of British Bangladeshi heritage. In 1991 this vibrant neighbourhood, shaped by migration and resilience, was alive with the sounds of daily life—children playing in the streets, bustling markets, Mosques and an emerging youth culture. The children of Bangladeshi migrants often referred to as “ second generation”, unlike their parents who still maintained strong links and ties to their homeland were forging new dual identity’s as British Bangladeshis. Balancing their heritage, rooted in the Bengali language and customs with Islam, along with the multicultural influences of Fashion, Music and Youth Subculture.
My photos taken in 1991 capture a pivotal moment in Bangla Town’s history—a time when the community was asserting its place in London while navigating the struggles of urban life.
