Bajloor Rashid

Bajloor Rashid
MBE
Native name বজলুর রশিদ
Born 28 May 1962
Balikandi, Maulvi Bazar, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)
Residence Willesborough, Ashford, Kent, England
Nationality British
Ethnicity Bengali
Occupation Restaurateur
Years active 1978–present
Style Bangladeshi/Indian Cuisine
Religion Islam
Spouse(s) Kaniz Fathema
Website
www.bajloorrashid.com

Bajloor Rashid MBE, (Bengali: বজলুর রশিদ; born 28 May 1962) is a Bangladeshi-born British restaurateur, philanthropist and humanitarian. From 2006 to 2012, he was the president for the Bangladesh Caterers Association.

Early life

Rashid was born in Balikandi, Maulvi Bazar, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). In 1978, he came to the United Kingdom to further his education.[1]

Business career

In 1980, Rashid opened his first restaurant Curry Garden, in High Street, Dover.[2] Between 1980 and 1993, Rashid and his brother set up a number of restaurants in Kent and London.[3] This gained him prominence in the early 1980s as a young entrepreneur in the curry industry, which led him to join the Bangladesh Caterers Association, the largest body of curry restaurant owners.[1][4] Rashid has also been involved in property investments owning commercial buildings. In 1993, he also got involved in a wholesale business, selling rice and spices.[3]

From 2006 to 2012, Rashid served as the national president for the Bangladesh Caterers Association.[2][5]

In April 2008, Rashid was at the Trafalgar Square[6] demonstration, which was attended by tens of thousands of people. This led to a debate in the House of Commons about immigration rules. The demonstration was aimed at drawing government attention to the problems the curry industry[7][8]had over skilled chefs being included in the shortage occupation list of the UK Border Agency.

Rashid is known for building up a substantial support network of agencies, working closely with the UK Government, members of Parliament, UKBA, MAC and the Police. He is also a senior director of the British Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce which was created in 1991.[9] He is a chairman or director of 20 companies.[4]

In 2010, Rashid was speaker at the Bangladesh Caterers Association Caterer Of The Year Award.[10]

On 1 September 2013 he was elected as Chairman of the Progressive Life Insurance Company.[11]

Rashid now owns three restaurants in Ashford, Whitstable and Wingham. In 2012, he sold one of his restaurants in Southgate, North London.[2]

Community activities

Rashid has been involved in assisting the plight of communities affected by some of the world's worst natural disasters such as Cyclone Sidr.[12] He is a member of various community organizations.[13]

Awards and recognition

In 2012, Rashid was appointed a Member of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2012 New Year Honours[14][15] for his services to the catering industry.[16][17]

Personal life

Rashid lives in Willesborough, Ashford, Kent, England with his wife, Kaniz Fathema.[2] They have two sons and two daughters.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Rashid, Bajloor (2012). The Bangladesh Cuisine 12 (December): 20. Missing or empty |title= (help);
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Honour for food industry captain". Kent: This Is Kent. 6 January 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Bajloor Rashid". Restaurant Hall of Fame. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Bangladesh Caterers Association 1960". 22 August 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  5. ↑ Asthana, Anushka (2 December 2007). "Brick Lane losing its flavour as corporates squeeze out curry". The Observer. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  6. ↑ Saini, Angela (21 April 2008). "Curry houses angry at immigration rules". BBC London News. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  7. ↑ "Opportunity for skilled Bangladeshi workers in UK". Bangladesh Today. 15 January 2009.
  8. ↑ Kazi Azizul, Islam (29 January 2009). "Bajloor Rashid expresses concern at manpower shortage". New Age Business.
  9. ↑ "Directors". British Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  10. ↑ Johnson, Rchel (13 October 2010). "Bangladesh Caterers Association announces best UK curry houses". Kent: This Is Kent. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  11. ↑ Bangla Mirror-English Weekly Newspaper for British Bangladeshis. Friday 27 September 2013 Issue
  12. ↑ The Bangladesh Cuisine 6 (December): 37. 2009. Missing or empty |title= (help);
  13. ↑ "I look back on my time as BCA President with Pride". The Bangladesh Cuisine 12 (December): 20. 2012.
  14. ↑ Westgarth, Adam (2012). "Queen to honour the king of curry". Ashford Herald (5 January): 1.
  15. ↑ Scott, James (2012). "I am absolutely over the moon with MBE". Kentish Express (5 January).
  16. ↑ "Bangladeshi restaurant boss Bajloor Rashid made MBE". BBC News. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  17. ↑ "Queen to hand over MBE award to Bajloor Feb 14". Bangladesh: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2013.

External links