This article was not crafted like many preceding other essays by me in 'The Little Red Dot', that is in the island state of Singapore, but in the British Isles where I spent a few days studying the subject. It examines the structured evolution of the current postcolonial policies of the United Kingdom toward Bangladesh and the broader South Asian Subcontinent. It is done through a domestic electoral and cultural lens in a British setting. Moving beyond traditional post- colonial paradigms, the study highlights the central role played by the British-Bangladeshi diaspora, overwhelmingly rooted in the Sylhet region in Bangladesh in shaping the Westminster an Whitehall diplomatic postures vis-a vis this important segment of what was once considered the jewel of the British Empire, the South Asian Subcontinent.

Under Andy Burnham, the former Mayor of Greater Manchester, who has succeed the somewhat lackluster Keir Starmer as the Prime Minister of the UK in July 26, there is likely to be some perceptible changes in how the Kingdom is governed .His current 'No.10 North' agenda , in which Heron House , Manchester is supposed to function as No 10 owning Street of the North, is intended to provide greater voice to the regions of England as a whole .This "rebalancing of power", would imply an exercise in governance where 'No. 10 North' would work alongside the Whitehall machinery. The idea is not to create a government separate from London, but to make regional government and devolution part of the centre of government itself. It is purported to extend beyond the North- to the Midlands, South West, and other parts of England. Elements of the project provide for fiscal autonomy and more powers to the Mayors and local councils. These changes to the Westminster model would give regions more autonomous administrative and fiscal authority without making them sovereign political units. Just as South Asia has largely chosen to adopt the traditional Westminster system, the intended reforms in the UK could be a frame of reference to these countries where the challenge today is bringing governments closer to the people as the demography expands. This could help redress some political demands arising among the South Asian nations.

In Britain this evolution would mean that the South Asia diaspora, now spread across the British Isles, may be able to exert greater influence, not only on local issues, but also in how the UK deals with the world beyond. This includes ties with the Subcontinent. Also for the British Empire, Bengal had a special significance, for historical, cultural and political reasons. Bangladesh, which emerged as an independent sovereign State actor as distinct from the pre-partition united Bengal, has had greater interactions with the world beyond. According to the United Nations Organization for Migration, there are almost 8.7 million Bangladeshis living abroad, the sixth highest country of origin for international migrants in the world. In Britain the settled population of Bangladeshi origin is said to number 653, 000. Of this, over90% trace their lineage directly to the Sylhet Division of Bangladesh.

It is widely cited that the first specifically recorded Sylheti to reach Britain was Syed Ullah, in 1809. His trip was facilitated by the principal East India Company administrator in then Sylhet, the Collector, Robert Lindsay. In his memoirs titled '"Anecdotes of an Indian Life" published in 1840 Lindsay tells the story of how on his request, Syed Ullah, a cook, prepared an excellent dish for him. Lindsay's verdict on the cuisine was memorable. He wrote: "Never was a curry better dressed, an never did I have a better meal". He also assisted Syed Ullah's travel to England.

That episode is often treated as an early precursor of the much later Sylheti -British restaurant tradition. Sylheti pioneers eventually turned former wartime shops into the iconic British Curry House. By the late 20 th century 80% of the 'Indian' restaurants across the UK were owned and operated by Sylhetis. This industry reshaped English culinary habits and defined the British dining landscape. Robin Cook, a former Foreign Secretary, famously declared 'Chicken Tikka Masala' a "true British national dish". The tealeaves that colour the liquour at a Devonshire Tea Party may well have come from a Tea Garden in the Surma Valley in Sylhet, managed by Scotsmen in the Past, who had felt a nostalgic touch of Scotland in their environs, despite the gentleness of the brew compared to their own fiery Scotch whisky. Beyond gastronomy Sylheti cultural spaces from Brick Lane to the colourful media networks have permanently woven Bengal's heritage into modern British urban life.

Thereafter the main migration of Sylhetis to Britain began. The initial influx comprised 'lascars' and 'sailors' navigating British merchant vessels, eventually forming settled communities, in urban hubs such as the Tower Hamlets in East London, Greater Manchester, Oldham, Birmingham an ports like Dover. The well-known wit and author, Syed Mujtaba Ali, himself a Sylheti, in the late 1920s came across a sailor called Samiruddin from Sylhet. As described in his story, JOLEY-DANGAY, this sailor jumped ship , went ashore to "a place, where Sylhetis earn ready cash", obviously in England.

The second wave were the 'raiyots' or share-croppers .They were vulnerable to the alleged exploitation of the feudal "Chowdhuries", and were easily detached from the lands they did not own. They, therefore, opted to migrate. For them the colonial metropolis was a natural destination. It is important to note that Sylhet was hived off by the British Raj from the Bengal Presidency and joined to the newly created province of Assam in 1874. In Bengal, the Tenancy Act of 1885 afforded a modicum of protection for the peasants from the landlords or 'Zamindars' empowered by the earlier Lord Cornwallis' Permanent Settlement Act of 1793. This Act had fixed the revenue to be paid by the Zaminadars in perpetuity. One result was that the Zamindars would extract as much rent as possibe from the peasants, in order to hold the difference from the fixed revenue to be paid to the State. Now, Assam was a non-Regulation Province in British India where many progressive legislations elsewhere (such as in Bengal) did not apply. The gap was eventually addressed by the Assam Legislature which enacted the Sylhet Tenancy Act of 1936, but by then, much of the migration had already taken place.

This familiarity with England of the Sylhetis, even though of the more indigent classes at this stage, gave migration another fillip following the Partition of the subcontinent into India and Pakistan. A referendum was held just prior to the Partition of 1947 that divided the Subcontinent into India and Pakistan. It was to decide whether Sylhet should remain in Assam, ie, become a part of India, or join East Bengal, i.e., Pakistan. By a majority, not an overwhelming one, most parts of Sylhet chose East Bengal, and therefore, Pakistan. However, now being cut-off from Calcutta, earlier the civic centre of Sylhet, created some economic issues, not just for the seamen who obtained their documentation from Calcutta, but also for the burgeoning middle class, who were not so connected to Dhaka.

This eventually led to much larger migration in the 1950s, when largely young men (who later came home to marry), followed the established kinship networks to Britain, taking advantage of the post-war labour demand. The trend continued through 1960s, and the quality enhanced, as most were now educated professionals and whirte collared work force. The Sylheti community in Britain provided enormously effective material and political support to the creation of Bangladesh in 1971. Indeed, the Bangladesh elections in 1973 elected a London- returnee, Abdul Mannan Chowdhury in Sylhet -21 constituency, whose restaurant on Old Brompton Road had provided a haven for pro-Bangladesh activists. Today there is an element of reverse migration where many of them are returning to Bangladesh to play significant role in business, academia, politics and government.

So , the Surma River meandering through Sylhet and the River Thames flowing through London can be metaphorically seen to be coming together to create a unique confluence. Where young seafaring men once braved the cold Atlantic waters aboard merchant ships, their descendants now sit in both Parliaments, share in the efflorescence of the arts and culture of both nations, and work the commercial engines of both countries. The story of Anglo-Bangladesh relations has come a full circle. There is no longer an empire reaching out to rule, but a vibrant postcolonial diaspora reaching across oceans to build a lasting bridge of equals.

Ambassador Iftekhar Chowdhury (Rtd.) PhD President, Cosmos Foundation, Dhaka. Former Foreign Advisor (Minister for Foreign Affairs) 2007-2009 Bangladesh Caretaker Government