JS to greet Tulip, Rushanara, Rupa tomorrow

Jatiya Sangsad will hold a general discussion tomorrow to congratulate three British-Bangladeshis for their triumph in the recently held British parliamentary elections.

Ruling Awami League lawmaker Dipu Moni will move the thanks-giving motion before the parliament, according to the order of the day finalised by the speaker for tomorrow’s sitting. 

Lawmakers are expected to participate in the discussion.

The three women -- including Tulip Siddiq, granddaughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman -- have made it to the House of Commons in the UK general election with Labour Party tickets.

Rushanara Ali and Rupa Huq are the other Bangladeshi origin to be elected lawmakers defeating their Tory rivals.

This is the first time the centuries-old British parliament has three lawmakers with roots in Bangladesh.

Though their party put up a dismal show in May, 2015 election which saw a bloodbath of party heavyweights and resignation of Labour leader Ed Miliband, Tulip and Rushanara sailed through quite comfortably. Rupa, however, faced a very tight competition from the Conservatives' candidate.

TULIP SIDDIQ

Eldest daughter of Sheikh Rehana and niece of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Tulip won Hampstead and Kilburn seat defeating Conservatives' Simon Marcus.

She polled 23,977 votes while Marcus bagged 22,839.

Living in West Hampstead with her husband Chris Percy, Tulip has been an active campaigner since she was 16, fighting to save local hospitals, fire stations and post offices.

She has previously been a local councillor and cabinet member for culture and communities in Camden Council. She also oversaw Camden's engagement with the 2012 London Olympics, which saw the launch of three legacy schemes to encourage more physical activities -- Camden Sports Academy, School and Community Games, and Pro-Active Ambassadors.

Prior to becoming Labour's candidate there, Tulip most recently worked for Brunswick Group LLP in corporate social responsibility, working with major British manufacturers and transport companies to strengthen their use of apprenticeship schemes and build on links with local communities and schools.

RUSHANARA ALI

Rushanara Ali has won her second spell in the British parliament from the Bethnal Green & Bow seat with a massive 24,317-vote lead over her Conservatives contender.

She was the first British-Bangladeshi to sit in the House of Commons after beating George Galloway in 2010 election in the same constituency with a majority of 11,574 votes.

In October 2013, she was made the shadow minister for education in the Labour reshuffle. Previously, Rushanara was appointed at the Labour frontbench as the shadow minister for international development.

RUPA HUQ

Another British citizen of Bangladeshi origin, Rupa won Ealing Central and Acton seat against sitting MP Angie Bray of the Conservatives.

Labour's Rupa won the seat with a meagre 274-vote margin. She bagged 22,002 votes while her rival Angie Bray got 21,728.

In 1998, she started teaching at Manchester University, and in 2004 became a senior lecturer of Sociology and Criminology at Kingston University.