Shaheed Altab Ali Day celebrated in East London

By Muhammed Shahed Rahman :

Shaheed Altab Ali Day was celebrated with a floral tribute and a brief discussion at the Shaheed Minar altar in Altab Ali Park in East London, UK.
The event began on Sunday (May 4, 2025) evening with a tribute to the memory of Bengali youth martyr Altab Ali at the Shaheed Minar premises in Altab Ali Park, East London.
A memorial service was held to commemorate Shaheed Altab Ali Day, with the presence of representatives of Tower Hamlets Council, Bangladesh High Commission, politicians, community activists and British Bangladeshi citizens paying tribute on their behalf.
Paying tribute to Shaheed Altab Ali, a British Bangladeshi youth killed in a racist attack – Cabinet Member Abdul Wahid paid tribute with flowers on behalf of the council and in the absence of the Speaker of Tower Hamlets Council.

Press Minister Akbar Hussain paid tribute on behalf of the Bangladesh High Commission, London.
Then, Councillor Kamrul Hossain Munna, Cabinet Member of Tower Hamlets Council, and former Speaker, Cabinet Member Councillor Shafi Ahmed jointly paid tribute.
Among others, members of the Altab Ali Memorial Trust and Altab Ali Foundation, community activists, and socio-political leaders paid tribute.
After paying homage, a one-minute silence was observed to pray for the eternal peace of Shaheed Altab Ali, and the memorial service was conducted by Cabinet Member Councilor Kamrul Hossain Munna.
Cabinet member Abdul Wahid, cabinet member Shafi Ahmed, Bangladesh High Commission representative Press Minister Akbar Hussain, Altab Ali Memorial Trust representative Hamida Idris, Altab Ali Foundation representative and many others spoke in memory of Shaheed Altab Ali.
However, some current and former Tower Hamlets Labour Party councillors were present at the memorial meeting but did not get the opportunity to speak, leading to mixed reactions in the community.
Altab Ali (1953– 4 May 1978) was a Bangladeshi national who was killed in a racist attack on Hartler Street in East London, England, in 1978. He was a textile worker by profession.
On Thursday, May 4, 1978, at approximately 7:40 p.m., he was murdered by racists on Adler Street, East London, while returning from work to his residence in Shadwell from Hanbury Street.
After his death, the Bengali community in London took to the streets to protest against racism. Along with the Bengalis, Africans and Asians living in London joined the protest.
As a result, the movement quickly turned violent. The three killers of Altab Ali were arrested by the administration.
After the trial, the court sentenced one of them to seven years in prison for stabbing and the other two to three years each for aiding and abetting in the crime in January 1979.
Since then, in 1998, St. Mary’s Park in East London, where Altab Ali was murdered, was officially renamed Altab Ali Park as a tribute to Altab Ali.
Altab Ali’s home is in Chhatak Upazila of Sunamganj District, Sylhet Division, Bangladesh.