Tower Hamlets' Bangabandhu School Among 32 Schools in London

Due to the misrule of Sheikh Hasina over the past 15 years, the people became frustrated with the Awami League. After the July student uprising, Sheikh Hasina had to bear the consequences of her father's, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s, sins. The agitated students removed the name of Bangabandhu from every corner of the country, including Bangabandhu Morals, statues, and public buildings.

However, an exception has been seen in Britain. Across 16 boroughs in London, 38 schools have been selected for a pilot initiative. Among them is the Bangabandhu Primary School in Tower Hamlets. The local councils contributing an additional £9.6 million in support to these schools, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It is worth mentioning that even though there are schools in London named after Bangabandhu and M A G Osmani , no local Awami League or political party leaders have contributed to their establishment. It was the Bangladeshi community who fought for the establishment of these schools. Later, when racists tried to change the names of these schools, their efforts failed due to the collective efforts of the united Bangladeshi community.

The Mayor of London has announced which schools will benefit from his £2.9 million Greener Schools programme, which aims to reduce energy bills and carbon emissions by introducing eco-friendly technologies like solar panels and heat pumps.

City Hall estimates the measures—such as LED lighting, better insulation, and water conservation projects—could save schools an average of nearly £15,000 annually on energy costs.

The selected schools are located in the boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, and Westminster.

Mayor Sadiq Khan expressed his hope that the government would eventually expand the scheme nationwide, suggesting that similar measures implemented across all London schools could save the education sector over £50 million each year.

He also highlighted that the initiative helped shape the government’s new Great British Energy programme, which recently pledged to install rooftop solar panels at 200 schools and 200 hospitals.

“This investment will help schools cut energy costs—allowing them to redirect funds to essential resources like books, staff, and technology—while also reducing carbon emissions and contributing to cleaner air in London,” said the Mayor.

“By working closely with borough councils, we’ve secured an additional £9.6 million to support even more projects, helping to meet our target of reaching net zero by 2030 and creating a greener, fairer London,” he added.

Helen Bruckdorfer, executive headteacher at the Brecknock and Torriano Federation in Camden, one of the participating schools, said the funding would allow for improvements like solar panels and LED lighting, supporting both energy efficiency and sustainability.

Rachel Carli, headteacher at Durants School in Enfield, added that the funding aligns with the goals of the Enfield Schools Climate Action Plan and will support the school's commitment to environmental responsibility.

The 38 schools selected for the Greener Schools programme are:

Barking and Dagenham:

• Hunters Hall Primary School

• Village Infants' School

• William Bellamy Primary School

Barnet:

• Wessex Gardens Primary School

Camden:

• Agar Children's Centre

• Regent High School

• Torriano Primary School

Enfield:

• Capel Manor Primary School

• Durants School

• Garfield Primary School

Hackney:

• Lauriston Primary School

Haringey:

• The Brook Special Primary School and The Willow Primary School

• Risley Avenue Primary School

Islington:

• Drayton Park Primary School

• Laycock Primary School

• Richard Cloudesley School

• Rotherfield Primary School

• Vittoria Primary School

Kensington and Chelsea:

• Avondale Park Primary School and St Anne’s & Avondale Park Nursery School

• Bevington Primary School

• Colville Primary School

Lambeth:

• Elm Court School

Lewisham:

• Baring Primary School

• Stillness Infants School

• Stillness Juniors School

Newham:

• Central Park Primary School

• Plashet School

• Roman Road Primary School

Southwark:

• Bird-in-Bush School

Tower Hamlets:

• Bangabandhu Primary School

• Bonner Primary School

Waltham Forest:

• Belmont Park School

• Greenleaf Primary School

Wandsworth:

• Garratt Park School

• Smallwood Primary School

Westminster:

• Essendine Primary School

• Hallfield Primary School

• Queen’s Park Primary School

The educational landscape of Tower Hamlets reflects the area's significant Bengali community. Osmani Primary School holds the distinction of being the first Bengali school, followed by Shapla Primary School, Bangabandu Primary School, and later, Kobi Nazrul Primary School. This trend of honoring Bengali heritage extends to the area's infrastructure. Bhuranuudin House, a converted old police station on Commercial Street, marked the initial naming of a building after a Bengali figure. This was followed by Shajalal Estate on Vallance Road and Fakruddin Street. Subsequently, Tower Hamlets council and local housing associations have continued to recognize the community by assigning further Bengali names to buildings and streets.