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Bajloor Rashid

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Bajloor Rashid
MBE
বজলুর রশিদ
Born (1962-05-28) 28 May 1962 (age 62)
Balikandi, Chandnighat, Moulvibazar, Sylhet, East Pakistan
NationalityBangladeshi
CitizenshipBritish
OccupationRestaurateur
Years active1978–present
StyleBangladeshi/Indian Cuisine
SpouseKaniz Fathema
Websitebajloorrashid.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 UK.

Early life

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Bajloor Rashid was born in the village of Balikandi, Chandnighat, Moulvibazar, Sylhet, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). In 1978, he came to the United Kingdom to further his education.

Business career

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In 1980, Bajloor Rashid opened his first restaurant Curry Garden, in High Street, Dover.[1] Between 1980 and 1993, Bajloor Rashid and his brother set up a number of restaurants in Kent and London.[2] 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 UK, the largest body of curry restaurant owners.[3][4] Bajloor Rashid has property investments, owning a number of commercial buildings. In 1993, he was also involved in a wholesale business, selling rice and spices.[2]

From 2006 to 2012, Bajloor Rashid served as the National President for the Bangladesh Caterers Association.[1][5] He established the BCA Awards and under his presidency (2007-2011), there were five annual awards. As a result of this the BCA Awards gained industry recognition.[3]

In April 2008, Bajloor Rashid was at the forefront of 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.

Bajloor 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 was 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.[3]

In September 2013, he was elected as Chairman of the Progressive Life Insurance Company.[10]

In 2014, he became Founding President of the UK Bangladesh Catalysts of Commerce and Industry (UKBCCI), a post he held until July 2020. He is now a Director of the UKBCCI.[11] Bajloor Rashid was a key business figure in setting up this new chamber of commerce based in London. The UKBCCI is a leading umbrella organisation for successful British-Bangladeshi entrepreneurs in the UK and Bangladesh. As President of the UKBCCI, he was also the driving force behind the setting up of the UKBCCI Business & Entrepreneur Excellence Awards in 2016.[12]

Community activities

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Bajloor Rashid has been involved in assisting the plight of communities affected by some of the world's worst natural disasters such as Cyclone Sidr. He is a member of various community organizations.[13][14][15]

Awards and recognition

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In 2012, Bajloor Rashid was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2012 New Year Honours.[1][16] for his services to the catering industry.[17][18] In 2012, the BB (British Bangladeshi) Power 100 List, ranked him as one of the top ten most influential BB individuals in the UK.[19][failed verification] The following year he was awarded first place in the Community Personality category in the BB Power 100 Awards 2013.[20] He has been recognised in the BB100 Awards 2016 and 2017 in the Networks and Associations category.[21] The British Bangladeshi Who's Who, has listed him a number of times in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014 for his work in catering and communications. In 2015 he was listed for his work in the Business & Community sector by them. In 2014 he was given an award by the BB Who's Who in recognition for his outstanding contribution.[22][failed verification] Channel S Television awarded him Business Personality of the year in 2013.[23]

Personal life

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Bajloor Rashid is married and has four children.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Westgarth, Adam (6 January 2015). "Queen to honour the king of curry". Ashford Herald. Ashford. Retrieved 1 November 2015.[permanent dead link‍]
  2. ^ a b "Bajloor Rashid". Restaurant Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 13 October 2008. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  3. ^ a b c d "Bangladesh Caterers Association 1960". 22 August 2012. Archived from the original on 20 August 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  4. ^ "Profiles: Bajloor Rashid MBE". The Bangladesh Cuisine. Bangladesh Caterers Association (UK): 41. December 2012. Archived from the original on 31 January 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  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 News. London. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  7. ^ "Opportunity for skilled Bangladeshi workers in UK". Bangladesh Today. 15 January 2009.
  8. ^ Azizul Islam, Kazi (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. ^ "Bajloor elected Progressive Life Insurance chair". Dhaka Mirror. Dhaka. 22 September 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  11. ^ "Plan to create young entrepreneurs in BD, NRBs in UK". Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha. Dhaka. 18 April 2014. Archived from the original on 31 January 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  12. ^ "UKBCCI announces its Business & Entrepreneur Excellence Awards 2016". 23 September 2016.
  13. ^ "I look back on my time as BCA President with Pride". The Bangladesh Cuisine. 12 (December): 20. 2012.
  14. ^ "Celebrations at the BCA Annual Dinner". Curry Life. February–March 2008. p. 31. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  15. ^ Bajloor Rashid (December 2012). "Looking Back". Curry Life. p. 20. Archived from the original on 31 January 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  16. ^ Scott, James (5 January 2012). "I am absolutely over the moon with MBE". Kentish Express.
  17. ^ "Bangladeshi restaurant boss Bajloor Rashid made MBE". BBC News. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  18. ^ "Queen to hand over MBE award to Bajloor Feb 14". Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha. Dhaka. 24 January 2012. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  19. ^ "BBPI 2012" (PDF). British Bangladeshi Power & Inspiration. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 March 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  20. ^ "British Bangladeshi Power 100" (PDF). British Bangladeshi Power & Inspiration. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  21. ^ "BBPI 2017". British Bangladeshi Power & Inspiration. p. 57. Archived from the original on 20 March 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  22. ^ "BB Who's Who". British Bangladeshi Who's Who.
  23. ^ "Bajloor Rashid MBE". Bajloor Rashid.
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