Competing visions of identity and space: Bangladeshi Muslims in Britain

This article explores the role of politics in public debates about what it means to be a Bangladeshi Muslim in contemporary Britain. It examines the history of Bangladeshi community activism, tensions at work in the political arena, and the part played by Islamist leaders and organisations. It grounds this analysis not only in Tower Hamlets, the 'heartland' of the community, but also in Oldham and Birmingham where there are substantial, if scantily researched, concentrations of British Bangladeshis. Through a study of the competing visions of identity and space, this article explores the ways in which secular and religious leaders seek to represent their community in the public sphere. It also discusses the ways in which local political dynamics are shaped by (mainly ideological and social) transnational networks.