Star-studded fund-raising event by Luton Bangladesh Helping Hand

Maruf Ahmed: A charity gala dinner, high quality entertainment & fundraising event organised by LBHH for Sri Ghat cyclone shelter & high school was attended by Former President Hussain Muhammad Ershad, Lord William McKenzie of Luton, Kelvin Hopkins MP for Luton North, Professor Les Ebdon CBE, Vice Chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire, Pasha Khandakar, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Caterers Association, Councillors from Luton Borough Council and many high profile sponsors from the business community and guests from diverse communities from Luton, Bedfordshire, London, Manchester etc. The event was recorded and broadcast by Channel S.  The event started with a recitation from the Holy Quran by Monzur Ahmed, Joint Press and Publicity Secretary of LBHH. Barrister Rizwan Hussain of Channel S presented Part 1 of the programme in which Dr Nazia Khanum OBE, Chair of LBHH welcomed all guests. Cllr Tahir Khan, LBHH Executive Committee member and key link with Sri Ghat, delivered a PowerPoint presentation explaining how LBHH had supported 115 families in Sri Ghat to rebuild their homes after they had been ravaged by Cyclone Sidr in 2007 and then built up a Cyclone Shelter and High School for the disadvantaged village people to meet their needs.

A further £25,000 will be needed to pay off the construction costs. The Patrons and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire made speeches praising the work of LBHH and they all made donations to the Project. Gavin Shuker MP for Luton South also sent his donation. Alhaj Abul Hussain, Vice Chair of LBHH, and Mr M Ramiz Ali, General Secretary, thanked the donors and sponsors and appealed to all to donate generously for such a good cause and the future initiatives of LBHH.  Oli Khan read out the names of the sponsors of the magazine Sri Ghat. An LBHH banner with sponsors’ names and another large banner with a Thank You to the sponsors and donors were displayed prominently at the event.  The Chief Guest, former Bangladesh President Hussain Md Ershad, made a speech supporting the project and pledged a donation of £500. He expressed his wish to visit the Sri Ghat High School/Cyclone Shelter in the future. The guests were entertained through a four course Gala Dinner. LBHH hopes that everyone who comes to hear about its work will be inspired to donate generously, so that it can complete the Sri Ghat Project and reach out to other disadvantaged people nationally and internationally. East London News Special Correspondent Maruf Ahmed is the founding Secreatary of the organisation and has served two terms as Secretary and is currently an Executive Committee member. He said: “It is wonderful to see so many supporters and well-wishers turn up to show their support for our humble efforts. “Charity work benefits us tremendously and I hope that many more will continue to support us in the years to come. “