London Bangla A Force for the community…
Friday’s our day off in East London News: and what better way to spend it, given that it is the last Friday of the election campaign, than touring the Borough’s mosques to get the last minute vibes? Imagine our surprise, then, to see Lutfur Rahman organising distribution of a pro-John Biggs newspaper!
OK, steady on readers: all is not as it seems. Lutfur Rahman was indeed handing out armfuls of Jonojibon newspaper to young distributers who went round to the mosque to hand them out to worshippers this Friday. Jonojibon newspaper is a relatively new publication which has supported John Biggs for Mayor since its inception a few weeks ago, and this issue of that paper is clear that worshippers should give Biggs their votes.
But it was not THE Lutfur Rahman at work here. This was Lutfur Rahman, husband of Labour Councillor Shiria Khatun.
Being called Lutfur Rahman and being caught canvassing for a Labour vote could be really confusing: let’s hope no one in East India confuses this Lutfur Rahman with what, during this election, must be regarded as the “real thing”!
Stage 2: Lutfur Rahman stands by as a distributor gets the pro-Labour newspaper out of the car.
Stage 3: A distributor carries some of the papers over for distribution.
The newspaper: pro Biggs – and still able to find a little space for Cllr Shiria Khatun!
Thank you for the sensible critique. Me and my neighbor were just preparing to do some research on this. We got a grab a book from our local library but I think I learned more clear from this post. I am very glad to see such magnificent information being shared freely out there.
Good to hear from you again, Robbie. We hope your campaign as Labour candidate in St Kath’s is proving enjoyable.
As far as we are aware, Jonojibon has been going for 18 weeks (please correct us if we are wrong): we are delighted that it has become a “much loved” local newspaper in that time. We are all for a pluralist media, and if locals such as yourself can grow to love a Bengali language newspaper in 18 weeks that’s all to the good.
The above little article is not an attack on Jonojibon, it is not intended to be an attack and it should not be construed as an attack – on Jonojibon or anything or anyone else. The fact that it is Jonojibon newspaper that Mr Rahman was distributing is entirely incidental.
We just thought that the news that Lutfur Rahman was distributing a paper which supported John Biggs might put a little smile for a moment on some readers’ faces: sorry if it didn’t float your boat.
The Management
You say that as if East London News is an independent Newspaper. It is not. It is unashamedly pro Lutfur Rahman. There’s nothing wrong with that but I find it a little bit much to attack Jonojibon – a much loved local newspaper for backing Mr John Biggs.