By Sunahwar Ali:
President, NRB Support Group, Former Chief Whip, Tower Hamlets Council, Anti-Racism, Anti-Injustice & Anti-Corruption Campaigner
Executive Summary
A destructive factional dispute over control of the Bangladesh Centre (Charity No. 291187) in London has escalated to the point where the Charity Commission has issued formal warnings. With millions of pounds of community assets at stake, and recent political interference including the recall of the UK High Commissioner, the Bangladeshi diaspora faces the real prospect of losing this vital institution forever.
This article sets out the evidence, the risks, and the only viable path forward: removing both opportunistic factions and restoring the Centre to genuine community service.
Part One:
The Evidence of Crisis
Official Warning from the Charity Commission
On 16 October 2024, the Charity Commission for England and Wales issued a formal letter to the Bangladesh Centre (Charity No. 291187) under Section 15(2) of the Charities Act 2011. The letter confirmed:
“The Charity Commission has received concerns of an ongoing dispute in the above-named charity… In instances where the validity of trusteeship is disputed, the Commission strongly recommends assistance from a fully independent qualified mediator.”
The warning was stark:
“When [disputes] occur they can be extremely damaging to the charity and its reputation, as well as placing its assets and beneficiaries at risk.”
This is not a routine communication. It is an official alert that the Centre is at risk of regulatory intervention.
The Political Dimension
The dispute is not merely about community leadership. Evidence from social media and community sources confirms that key figures in the dispute have deep political affiliations:
· Facebook posts from February 2021 show Bangladesh Centre General Secretary Delwar Hussain meeting with Nurul Islam Nahid, a Presidium Member of the Bangladesh Awami League and former Education Minister.
· December 2023 posts show Delwar Hussain traveling from London to Sylhet to campaign for the Awami League candidate in the Bangladeshi national elections.
· Multiple sources confirm that the faction led by Delwar Hussain and Tofazzul Miah has long-standing ties to the Awami League, while opposing factions have been perceived as aligned with other political blocs including Jamaat-Shibir.
The Diplomatic Intervention
On 8 March 2026, at London’s Heathrow Airport, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir announced the immediate recall of UK High Commissioner Abida Islam. He accused her of “Awami-isation” of the High Commission and failing to serve Bangladesh’s interests.
The announcement was made publicly, in front of cameras, with the Foreign Minister standing beside him. Some in the crowd clapped and shouted “Alhamdulillah.”
This was widely condemned by former diplomats as “unprecedented” and damaging to Bangladesh’s international reputation. But within the UK Bangladeshi community, it was immediately understood as connected to the Bangladesh Centre dispute.
Part Two: What Is Really at Stake
Millions of Pounds in Community Assets
The Bangladesh Centre represents:
·A physical asset:
A building and land in London worth millions
· A charitable asset:
A hub for education, culture, and community cohesion
· An intergenerational asset:
Built by the first generation to serve the second and third
The Mechanism of Loss
If the factional war continues, the Charity Commission will inevitably intervene.
The process is well-established:
Stage Consequence
Statutory Inquiry Bank accounts frozen, trustees suspended, programmes halted
Interim Manager Appointed External professionals (charging £200-£400/hour) take over, fees paid from charity funds
Asset Transfer or Winding Up The building and land may be transferred to another charity or sold—the community loses the Centre permanently
This is not speculation.
It is the standard regulatory response to trustee deadlock under the Charities Act 2011.
Part Three:
The Opportunists’ Game
The evidence shows that both factions in this dispute share the same flaw: they prioritise their own political and personal interests over the community.
The faction led by Delwar Hussain and Tofazzul Miah:
·Uses political connections in Dhaka to gain leverage
· Campaigns for Bangladeshi political parties while claiming to lead a UK charity
· Seeks control of community assets as a power base
The opposing faction, whatever their political alignment, has engaged in the same destructive behaviour—refusing to compromise, rejecting mediation, and treating the Centre as a prize to be won.
Neither group has focused on what the Charity Commission demands: putting personal differences aside and working solely in the best interests of the charity.
Part Four:
A Message to the Prime Minister’s Adviser
To Humayun Kabir, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs:
You have been given wrong advice over the Bangladesh Centre issues. The people who celebrated the High Commissioner’s recall are the same people who have brought this charity to the brink of regulatory seizure.
They told you Abida Islam was the problem.
They told you removing her would help the community.
The evidence shows otherwise:
·The Charity Commission’s warning letter was issued in October 2024—long before the recall
· The dispute has been ongoing for years, documented in official records
· The factions have rejected mediation and ignored Commission guidance
· Community assets are at genuine risk of being lost forever
Now that the door is open, listen to honest and sincere advice—not from those who created this crisis, but from those who have spent years fighting for transparency, fairness, and community unity.
Part Five:
The Only Way Forward
The Bangladesh Centre must be saved from both groups of opportunists. They think only of themselves and have nothing to do with genuine community service.
The solution is clear:
1. Remove Both Factions from Control
Neither group has demonstrated the ability to govern in the charity’s interests. Independent mediation, as recommended by the Charity Commission, must determine legitimate trusteeship—and neither current faction should be allowed to dominate.
2. Establish Community-Wide Governance
A new management structure must include:
·Women and youth representatives
· Professional advisers (accountants, lawyers)
· Long-standing community workers who have stayed out of factional fights
· Transparent elections with verified membership rolls
3. Focus on Genuine Community Work
The Centre must return to its charitable purposes:
· Supplementary education for children
· Elderly lunch clubs and social care
· Cultural programmes open to all
· Advice services for vulnerable community members
· Youth activities and sports
4. Comply Fully with Charity Law
This means:
· Open and transparent accounts
· Proper trustee meetings with minutes
· Compliance with CC3 (The Essential Trustee) guidance
· Regular reporting to the Charity Commission
5. Engage the Broader Community
The NRB Support Group and other impartial community organisations must be involved in overseeing the transition to stable, lawful governance.
Conclusion:
A Final Warning
Do not allow millions of pounds of community assets to be taken over by the Charity Commission.
If the factions continue their war, that is exactly what will happen—sooner or later. The Commission will step in, appoint an interim manager, drain the charity’s funds on fees, and potentially transfer the assets elsewhere.
The community will lose everything.
The only people who benefit from the current situation are the opportunists themselves. They get to feel powerful. They get to play politics. They get to claim they lead a community institution—while driving it toward destruction.
This must stop.
As someone who has spent decades fighting racism, injustice, and corruption—in Tower Hamlets, in London, and in Bangladesh—I say this clearly:
The Bangladesh Centre must become a community centre again. Involved in orderly community work.
Minus both groups of opportunists.
Let those who truly care about the community—the parents, the young people, the elderly, the volunteers—take back what belongs to them.
The door is open.
The evidence is clear.
The time to act is now.
:Sunahwar Ali:
President, NRB Support Group
Former Chief Whip, Tower Hamlets Council
Anti-Racism, Anti-Injustice & Anti-Corruption Campaigner
London – Dhaka
12 March 2026
This article is based on official Charity Commission correspondence, public social media records, news reports, and direct community knowledge.
All documents referenced are available for verification.
The Bangladesh Centre Crisis: Millions of Pounds at Risk as Factional War Threatens Community Asset
By Sunahwar Ali
President, NRB Support Group, Former Chief Whip, Tower Hamlets Council, Anti-Racism, Anti-Injustice & Anti-Corruption Campaigner
Executive Summary
A destructive factional dispute over control of the Bangladesh Centre (Charity No. 291187) in London has escalated to the point where the Charity Commission has issued formal warnings. With millions of pounds of community assets at stake, and recent political interference including the recall of the UK High Commissioner, the Bangladeshi diaspora faces the real prospect of losing this vital institution forever.
This article sets out the evidence, the risks, and the only viable path forward: removing both opportunistic factions and restoring the Centre to genuine community service.
Part One:
The Evidence of Crisis
Official Warning from the Charity Commission
On 16 October 2024, the Charity Commission for England and Wales issued a formal letter to the Bangladesh Centre (Charity No. 291187) under Section 15(2) of the Charities Act 2011. The letter confirmed:
“The Charity Commission has received concerns of an ongoing dispute in the above-named charity… In instances where the validity of trusteeship is disputed, the Commission strongly recommends assistance from a fully independent qualified mediator.”
The warning was stark:
“When [disputes] occur they can be extremely damaging to the charity and its reputation, as well as placing its assets and beneficiaries at risk.”
This is not a routine communication. It is an official alert that the Centre is at risk of regulatory intervention.
The Political Dimension
The dispute is not merely about community leadership. Evidence from social media and community sources confirms that key figures in the dispute have deep political affiliations:
· Facebook posts from February 2021 show Bangladesh Centre General Secretary Delwar Hussain meeting with Nurul Islam Nahid, a Presidium Member of the Bangladesh Awami League and former Education Minister.
· December 2023 posts show Delwar Hussain traveling from London to Sylhet to campaign for the Awami League candidate in the Bangladeshi national elections.
· Multiple sources confirm that the faction led by Delwar Hussain and Tofazzul Miah has long-standing ties to the Awami League, while opposing factions have been perceived as aligned with other political blocs including Jamaat-Shibir.
The Diplomatic Intervention
On 8 March 2026, at London’s Heathrow Airport, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir announced the immediate recall of UK High Commissioner Abida Islam. He accused her of “Awami-isation” of the High Commission and failing to serve Bangladesh’s interests.
The announcement was made publicly, in front of cameras, with the Foreign Minister standing beside him. Some in the crowd clapped and shouted “Alhamdulillah.”
This was widely condemned by former diplomats as “unprecedented” and damaging to Bangladesh’s international reputation. But within the UK Bangladeshi community, it was immediately understood as connected to the Bangladesh Centre dispute.
Part Two: What Is Really at Stake
Millions of Pounds in Community Assets
The Bangladesh Centre represents:
·A physical asset:
A building and land in London worth millions
· A charitable asset:
A hub for education, culture, and community cohesion
· An intergenerational asset:
Built by the first generation to serve the second and third
The Mechanism of Loss
If the factional war continues, the Charity Commission will inevitably intervene.
The process is well-established:
Stage Consequence
Statutory Inquiry Bank accounts frozen, trustees suspended, programmes halted
Interim Manager Appointed External professionals (charging £200-£400/hour) take over, fees paid from charity funds
Asset Transfer or Winding Up The building and land may be transferred to another charity or sold—the community loses the Centre permanently
This is not speculation.
It is the standard regulatory response to trustee deadlock under the Charities Act 2011.
Part Three:
The Opportunists’ Game
The evidence shows that both factions in this dispute share the same flaw: they prioritise their own political and personal interests over the community.
The faction led by Delwar Hussain and Tofazzul Miah:
·Uses political connections in Dhaka to gain leverage
· Campaigns for Bangladeshi political parties while claiming to lead a UK charity
· Seeks control of community assets as a power base
The opposing faction, whatever their political alignment, has engaged in the same destructive behaviour—refusing to compromise, rejecting mediation, and treating the Centre as a prize to be won.
Neither group has focused on what the Charity Commission demands: putting personal differences aside and working solely in the best interests of the charity.
Part Four:
A Message to the Prime Minister’s Adviser
To Humayun Kabir, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs:
You have been given wrong advice over the Bangladesh Centre issues. The people who celebrated the High Commissioner’s recall are the same people who have brought this charity to the brink of regulatory seizure.
They told you Abida Islam was the problem.
They told you removing her would help the community.
The evidence shows otherwise:
·The Charity Commission’s warning letter was issued in October 2024—long before the recall
· The dispute has been ongoing for years, documented in official records
· The factions have rejected mediation and ignored Commission guidance
· Community assets are at genuine risk of being lost forever
Now that the door is open, listen to honest and sincere advice—not from those who created this crisis, but from those who have spent years fighting for transparency, fairness, and community unity.
Part Five:
The Only Way Forward
The Bangladesh Centre must be saved from both groups of opportunists. They think only of themselves and have nothing to do with genuine community service.
The solution is clear:
1. Remove Both Factions from Control
Neither group has demonstrated the ability to govern in the charity’s interests. Independent mediation, as recommended by the Charity Commission, must determine legitimate trusteeship—and neither current faction should be allowed to dominate.
2. Establish Community-Wide Governance
A new management structure must include:
·Women and youth representatives
· Professional advisers (accountants, lawyers)
· Long-standing community workers who have stayed out of factional fights
· Transparent elections with verified membership rolls
3. Focus on Genuine Community Work
The Centre must return to its charitable purposes:
· Supplementary education for children
· Elderly lunch clubs and social care
· Cultural programmes open to all
· Advice services for vulnerable community members
· Youth activities and sports
4. Comply Fully with Charity Law
This means:
· Open and transparent accounts
· Proper trustee meetings with minutes
· Compliance with CC3 (The Essential Trustee) guidance
· Regular reporting to the Charity Commission
5. Engage the Broader Community
The NRB Support Group and other impartial community organisations must be involved in overseeing the transition to stable, lawful governance.
Conclusion:
A Final Warning
Do not allow millions of pounds of community assets to be taken over by the Charity Commission.
If the factions continue their war, that is exactly what will happen—sooner or later. The Commission will step in, appoint an interim manager, drain the charity’s funds on fees, and potentially transfer the assets elsewhere.
The community will lose everything.
The only people who benefit from the current situation are the opportunists themselves. They get to feel powerful. They get to play politics. They get to claim they lead a community institution—while driving it toward destruction.
This must stop.
As someone who has spent decades fighting racism, injustice, and corruption—in Tower Hamlets, in London, and in Bangladesh—I say this clearly:
The Bangladesh Centre must become a community centre again. Involved in orderly community work.
Minus both groups of opportunists.
Let those who truly care about the community—the parents, the young people, the elderly, the volunteers—take back what belongs to them.
The door is open.
The evidence is clear.
The time to act is now.
Sunahwar Ali:
President, NRB Support Group
Former Chief Whip, Tower Hamlets Council
Anti-Racism, Anti-Injustice & Anti-Corruption Campaigner
London – Dhaka
12 March 2026
This article is based on official Charity Commission correspondence, public social media records, news reports, and direct community knowledge.
All documents referenced are available for verification.
