Bengal duo make history in Newham Borough, London – GetBengal story
A Historic and Proud Moment for Bengalis Worldwide, especially for Bengal and the Bengali Diaspora! In a proud and historic moment for Bengalis around the world, especially those from Bengal, two young men from Kolkata, Rohit Dasgupta and Imam Haque, have made history in the London Borough of Newham.
Rohit Dasgupta has been elected as the Chairman and First Citizen of Newham, becoming the first person of Bengali-Indian origin to hold this position. Alongside him, Imam Haque has been re-elected as the Vice-Chair.
The official ceremony took place on 22nd May during the Borough Council’s annual meeting, where both were formally given their new responsibilities.
Rohit Dasgupta’s journey began in the narrow lanes of South Kolkata and has now reached the civic chambers of East London. He studied at St. James’ School in Kolkata and later at Jadavpur University, where he completed his Bachelor’s degree in Comparative Literature. After that, he moved to London for his postgraduate studies.
Today, he teaches at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Rohit is also a well-known LGBTQ+ rights activist. He contested elections as a Labour Party candidate in 2018 and again in 2022, and was elected as a councillor from Canning Town South Ward in the London Borough of Newham.
Another young man from Kolkata, Imam Haque, has also been re-elected as the Deputy Chair of Newham Borough, marking yet another proud moment for the Bengali community.
After being elected, Rohit wrote on his social media, “Feeling deeply emotional. Many years ago, a young queer immigrant made Newham his home. I never imagined that one day I would become the Chair and First Citizen of this beautiful and diverse borough. I feel truly honoured. I promise to carry out all my responsibilities with dignity, fairness, and respect. I’m especially happy to have my dear friend and colleague from Kolkata, Imam Haque, as Vice Chair alongside me. This is, without a doubt, a historic night. I want to thank my Labour Party colleagues for nominating me and to members across parties who supported me. I will remember you all for life. To those who placed their trust in me during such challenging times—I will not let you down. Thank you for giving me this opportunity.”
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Translated by Sabana Yasmin
To read the original Bengali article, click here:
