The Background
My parents came to the UK in the early 1950s as economic migrants. When my father arrived he did not speak English and he had never been outside his own home town before. It was a shock for him to come to London, one of the most diverse cities in the world. He hoped to stay for a few years, earn enough money to return to Bangladesh and set up a business. It is 2007 and he is still here, the majority of his children and all his grandchildren were born in the UK. Britain and London has become their home.
Growing up in East London had its challenges. While we had some very friendly and welcoming neighbours, we also encountered much hostility. I still remember how our kitchen windows used to get smashed by bricks and stones. I remember when my father’s car windscreen was shattered while I was sitting on the passenger seat, the glass falling all over my face, cutting my skin and making me bleed.
My father decided to move us back to Bangladesh to escape this hostility. I was sent to school there, but while I was studying hard to gain a good education, in my mind I was longing to come back to our home in London. We returned to the UK after a few years. I was determined to study further so I went to college and then university to complete post graduate studies. I studied politics, Arabic and counselling and successfully completed an MA from Birkbeck College, London.
I actively support and promote causes of justice. I joined the Liberal Democrats because I found they had a consistent approach to justice and fairness. Our party campaigns for the rights of minorities and rigorously implements equality. We strongly endorse rule of law and in international politics we back a multilateral and consensual approach to diplomacy and nation building. I am a strong proponent of all these and would actively work to support them.
I went on to work as a youth and community development worker, teacher at a supplementary school, and community organiser. For the last 6 years I have been working as a freelance consultant specialising in cultural relations and media.
My career is a natural progression from my early experiences. I could have become a destructive and embittered young man who responds to life with anger and violence. I have chosen none of these things. I have chosen to transfer my life experiences into positive, constructive work that benefits not only individuals but all communities. I am a passionate advocate for greater understanding, acceptance and community cohesion in all aspects of my life.
I now want the chance to continue this work as a Liberal Democrat on the London Assembly. I believe my experiences give me a unique ability to relate to London’s marginalised individuals and reconnect them with the mainstream.
A vote for Ajmal is a vote for a vibrant, cohesive and forward-looking London.
