Plaque unveiled to honour pioneering Bengali seaman Ayub Ali Master

Ansar Ahmed Ullah:

Tower Hamlets recently paid tribute to one of the area’s earliest Bengali settlers with the unveiling of a commemorative plaque for Ayub Ali Master. The ceremony took place on Sunday, 2 November, outside Drewett House on Christian Street, the site where he founded the Indian Seamen’s Welfare League in the 1940s.

The event began with an introduction by Anna Zucchelli, Tower Hamlets Conservation Officer, followed by a speech from Julie Begum, Chairperson of Swadhinata Trust, the organisation responsible for the research. Parul Husain, grand daughter of Ayub Ali, spoke on behalf of her family, expressing pride that her grand father’s legacy was finally being recognised.

The plaque was unveiled by chief guest Tower Hamlets Cllr Kamrul Hussain, Lead Member for Culture, who emphasised the importance of remembering the pioneering first Bengali settlers, acknowledging their contributions to the UK’s Bengali community today

Ayub Ali Master arrived in the UK from the US in 1919 alongside his brother Shamsul Haque, docking at Tilbury. Settling at 13 Sandy’s Row, he provided food, shelter, and administrative support to fellow seamen, assisting them with registration, letter writing, and sending remittances to India. Known as ‘Master’ for his education and eloquence, he later established Orient Travels, a travel agency that eventually moved to 96 Brick Lane. Ayub Ali Master passed away in 1980 in Bangladesh, and his final resting place remains in his hometown of Asal, Jagannathpur, Sylhet. The plaque serves as a lasting tribute to a man whose efforts laid the foundation for the thriving Bengali community in the UK today.