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Altab Ali Day 2015 observed

60Ansar Ahmed Ullah : 

This year the annual Altab Ali Day was commemorated by Altab Ali Foundation (AAF) on Mon 4 May 2015, at the ‘Shahid Minar’, Altab Ali Park, Whitechapel, with a solidarity rally.

The event started with a minute silence, took place on Monday 4th May, to coincide with the date of Altab Ali’s murder. Floral wreath in honour of Altab Ali & all other victims of racism were laid by Chairperson of Altab Ali Foundation Akikur Rahman and Secretary Rajonuddin Jalal. The event was conducted by Nooruddin Ahmed, Vice Chair of Altab Ali Foundation.

Anti-racist activists, Bengali activists of the 1970s, AAF patron, speakers who addressed the rally were ex MP from Bangladesh Shofiqur Rahman Chowdhury, Speaker of Tower Hamlets Cllr Abdul Mukit Chunnu MBE, Altab Ali Foundation’s Patron & London Assembly Member Murad Qureshi, social activist & UK Awami League’s president Sultan Shariff,

educationalist Nurul Haq, ex Cllr Phil Maxwell, Trade unionist Richard Humm, 1978 activist Clare Murphy, Mike Zeitlen  from Tower Hamlets Unison’s community health section, Glyn Rhys from Hackney Trades Union and Julie Begum, Chairperson of Swadhinata Trust amongst many others.

 

At the annual commemoration of the Altab Ali Day speakers emphasized the importance of the event in the anti-racist and anti-fascist calendar. They said Altab Ali Day vividly reminds communities of the catalogue of racist murders and the struggle against racism and fascism in

the UK. This year marked the 37th anniversary of the murder of Altab Ali, which gave rise to the

resistance movement by the Bengali community in the East End of London and led to the anti-racist struggle in 1978 defeating the thugs of the then National Front- the far right racist

political party.