They are the second generation British Bangladeshis, who migrated in their early age or born and brought up in the UK and are now holding important posts in public and private services there. They do not want to be treated as the ethnic minorities any more. Rather, they identify themselves as the mainstream people of the land.

But this does not mean that these young people, who had a very little knowledge about their ancestral land, will forget their cultural heritage, which is deeply rooted in their blood.

This observation came from British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury as well as a group of young British Bangladeshis who are now on a three-week visit to Bangladesh. The delegation met the high commissioner at his residence in Dhaka yesterday.

The group comprises a football squad of 17, including a dentist and a teacher. During their stay here, they will play football matches with the local teams, provide training on football to schoolchildren, hold workshops on oral cancer, install a tubewell at a remote village and visit Dhaka, Sylhet and Chittagong under a project 'Re-connect'.

"Our objective is to re-connect a group of young British Bangladeshis with their cultural heritage," said the British high commissioner.

The British Bangladeshis must think they are mainstreamed, but at the same time they should not forget their cultural heritage, he said. "We want that they feel more comfortable about who they are and what is their identity," he added.

People-to-people contact is very important alongside the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the UK, Anwar Choudhury said. "We may be British but are very emotional and proud of our cultural heritage," he added.

Aftab Rahman, a British civil servant, said Bangla culture is one of the most dominant cultures in the UK. "We feel very proud of it."

"We want to establish a sustainable link after discovering more about our ancestral land. Launching a collaborative programme with a village school and donating a tubewell are just the beginning," he added.

About the culture clashes between the first generation and second generation British Bangladeshis, he said culture clashes between the parents and the children are a natural thing and would continue to exist. "What we need is a compromise," he said.

"We don't need white skin to become English," he said, adding that the attitude of the British Bangladeshis is now changing and they are now becoming mainstreamed.

Ruhel Alam, a dental surgeon of National Health Services of the UK, said Bangladeshis are now achieving better results in the UK schools and holding very important posts.

He said two of his brothers are studying information technology and dentistry and another is a taxi driver.

"Our whole family is quite highly educated and doing good jobs," he said, refuting the notion that most British Bangladeshis do odd jobs in the UK.

There are many restaurants owned and managed by Bangladeshis and dishes are very delicious, which attract the British people as well, he said. "We are proud that our forefathers laid foundations of those and today we are enjoying its fruits."

"Bangladeshis are among the most friendly people in the UK," said Ian James Angus, a British delegation member.