First it was the family of Bow school boy Nasar Ahmed who entrusted Councillor Ohid Ahmed to fight for justice, seeking answers for their son’s tragic death.
Now Ohid Ahmed is leading the fight on behalf of the residents and parents of ‘Osmani Primary School’ in Vallance Road against the autocratic decision taken by the Tower Hamlets Council maintained school to remove the word ‘Osmani’ from its name.
Ohid Ahmed, with the help of local Councillors Suluk Ahmed, Gulam Robbani and Mahbub Alam, local community campaigners Abu Taher Choudhury, Foyzur Rahman Choudhury, Shahab Uddin, has led an energetic community campaign against the decision.
He has already raised more than 1,000 signatures from parents and residents against the decision. You can view and sign the Ohid Ahmed’s Osmani School petition here
Ohid Ahmed has arranged a community consultation meeting on Thursday 19 January at Wodeham Centre (7 pm), and a protest meeting on Friday 20 January outside the Osmani School (1.30 pm.) for local parents and community.
Why the fuss?
Commander M.A.G Osmani was a well-known Army Officer who fought in World War II for the British Armed forces in Burma.
He is also known as ‘Bangabir – Brave Bengali Freedom Fighter’ – for his successful and bold command of Bangladeshi freedom force that resulted in the historic creation of Bangladesh.
Ohid Ahmed’ successful campaign achieved a significant milestone, when after collecting 1,091 signatures against the decision in a matter of days, he along with Councillors Suluk Ahmed, Gulam Robbani and Mahbub Alam of Tower Hamlets Independent Group forced Mayor John Biggs to agree to officially write a joint letter of objection to the school.
Councillor Ohid Ahmed presented an emergency motion to the Council about the decision providing an opportunity to Mayor John Biggs to join hands, Mayor John Biggs chose to take on board key points from Ohid Ahmed but refused to include Councillor Ohid Ahmed’s name in the motion.
Despite this shameless act, Councillor Ohid Ahmed convinced the Mayor and chose to support the motion.
Councillor Ohid Ahmed is leading the campaign for parents.
Ohid Ahmed has already been successful in getting a joint resolution of objection by almost all Councillors at the Tower Hamlets Council including the Mayor, can he now convince the school to change this unwise decision?
Parents are fed-up and angry
According to many local parents and eye-witnesses of the conversations taking place in Tower Hamlets at the moment, British Bangladeshi residents of Tower Hamlets seem to have had enough of the behaviour of many schools and their legally responsibly local authority, Tower Hamlets Council, under its current leadership of Mayor John Biggs.
They also seem fed-up with those Tower Hamlets Councillors whose financial, personal and political interests depend upon protecting and projecting John Biggs at the expense of the interest of the residents of Tower Hamlets.
Residents say that mere political statements on social media, forced council motions and letters are simply not good enough by someone who is the elected Mayor of Tower Hamlets and receives £75,000 salary from residents’ money, and has given himself a nice cushy 11% increase in his pay packet since being elected. John Biggs’ personal Mayor office costs the Tower Hamlets residents £630,000 per year.
In Councillor Ohid Ahmed of Independent Group, a significant majority of residents claims to have found a hard-working local fighter who has been consistently standing up for them. They say he is someone with integrity, a proven, successful and credible track record spanning well over 20 years in effectively dealing with the community issues.
Shocking decision
The latest saga relates to the arbitrary decision by the Tower Hamlets Council maintained school to remove the name ‘Osmani’ from its name.
The decision was taken without any consultation with the parents and residents.
There was no effort by the school to build consensus or seek feedback.
The school is situated in Vallance Road, adjacent to the boundary of the housing estate of another Tower Hamlets Councillor Suluk Ahmed whose two young children attend the Osmani Primary School who found it extremely hard to explain the decisions to his young children. He told the fellow parents he was very emotional and upset.
Vallance road connects the two famous parts of the Borough – Whitechapel and Bethnal Green, along with other areas.
The school had achieved very good results in the latest OFSTED report and was praised for its contribution to the community and overall excellence.
The name of ‘Osmani’ Primary School is based on M.A.G Osmani – a well-known Army Officer who fought in World War II for the British Armed forces in Burma. He is also known as ‘Bangabir – Brave Bengali Freedom Fighter’ – for his brave command of Bangladeshi freedom force that resulted in the historic creation of Bangladesh.
‘Ahmed’ factor
Ohid Ahmed, with the help of local Councillors Suluk Ahmed and Gulam Robbani, has led an energetic campaign against the decision and has already raised more than 1,000 signatures from parents and residents. Ahmed has also arranged a community consultation meeting on Thursday 19 January at Wodeham Centre, and a protest meeting on Friday outside the Osmani School.
Other Councillors and the Mayor may have also arranged similar petitions or meetings but it is Councillor Ohid Ahmed who has led the campaign as soon as the decision was known.
Cllr Mahbub Alam, Deputy Leader of Independent Group
Mayor of Tower Hamlets – John Biggs
Sometimes, you have to call a spade a spade. Tell it like it is.
Frankly, as the elected mayor of Tower Hamlets John Biggs should have already written an official letter of objection many days ago, given the strength of anger in the community but the fact is he had not done so, and it took Councillors from the Independent Groups and Ohid Ahmed, to force him to do so. Better late than never.
It is unbecoming of the Mayor John Biggs to stop Councillor Ohid Ahmed’s name being included in the unanimous motion after his tireless and well-documented campaign.
Troubling pattern
Since the Mayor John Biggs have taken over the mayoralty in 2015, this is the latest in a set of troubling news which have really upset and angered the residents of Tower Hamlets.
In the real world, beyond the world of Biggs’ echo-chamber and his propaganda operation, just how well have local schools under the control of Mayor John Biggs’ Tower Hamlets Council have treated the residents in the borough?
Is John Biggs really as powerless as he claims or does he pick and choose to whom, exactly when and by how much he is willing to provide his support to?
Does this powerlessness apply when he gives £1.5m of residents’ money to Labour pet project Rich Mix against the council’s legal advice?
Is this how John Biggs would have dealt with such an issue if this school was in more affluent parts of the borough with different demography, say in Wapping or certain parts of Isle of Dogs?
The answer is no. If it was another area, another issue, another kind of people, John Biggs personally would have already offered an urgent meeting to the local ward councillors or the lead campaigner.
Why in this case such courtesy was not afforded to Councillors Suluk Ahmed, Gulam Robbani or even Cllr Ohid Ahmed who set up the original petition and have collected 1,091 signatures from local residents and parents?
Evidence
We examine just three of the possible case studies provided including Osmani Primary School. All of these relate to schools maintained by Tower Hamlets Council which controlled by Mayor John Biggs, and have been verified by many sources and are widely reported with facts. If anyone has more details or new case studies, please do send us. All examples quoted below can be verified and links to the coverage in the mainstream media are provided for cross-reference purposes.
Case study 1
Appointment of a racist murderer at a Tower Hamlets school
It has only been a few months that the community was furious at the revelation about the appointment of Ian Devlin, a racist murderer, at the Borough’s Ian Mikardo School.
Devlin is a killer who was complicit in racially stabbing a Bangladeshi father to death in Tower Hamlets but is hired as an assistant at a school for troubled children, 500 meters from where the he stabbed Shiblu Rahman.
The victim, Shiblu Rahman, was told ‘shut up, Paki’ and his last desperate words before being stabbed and beaten were, “Why me, what have I done to you, help, help”. Rahman was 35 and had two young children. His wife found him dying ‘on the doorstep of their home in Bromley-by-Bow.
Devlin’s appointment was deemed so sensitive it had to be confirmed by the school’s governors. Two of the governors were Mayor of Tower Hamlet John Bigg’s party mates and senior local Labour Party officials.
You can check the facts stated above here and here
Case Study 2
Death of school boy Nasar Ahmed after detention in Bow school
Then, the residents heard of the tragic death of young Bow school boy Nasar Ahmed who died following detention given to him at the school.
After pressure applied by Ohid Ahmed, family and many residents, John Biggs chose to send a personally glorifying press release with self-congratulatory statement that he had visited the family.
But John Biggs have so far failed to satisfy the family. He has been unable to answer the five questions posed to him by the family in his meeting about the death of their 14-year-old son.
It was left with Ohid Ahmed to fight for the family, and force Biggs’ administration to review the procedures in all Tower Hamlets School relating to children with medical needs and those falling ill at school so that no parent ends up losing their young child like Nasar Ahmed. The residents have yet to hear the progress of the review yet.
After his self-glorifying press release about this tragic death of local school boy, there has been no update from Biggs about the investigation or the case.
The news agenda has moved on, so has John Biggs it seems.
Eventually, the family was left with no choice but to hire a specialist lawyer in desperation and with help from family members and friends.
Meanwhile Councillor Ohid Ahmed has been pursuing the review with the Minister for State for Education and the Ofsted.
That brings to the latest episode of Osmani Primary School and the (in)action of John Biggs until persuaded by Cllr Ohid Ahmed and others.
After being shamed yet again, John Biggs is trying to manufacture a public meeting with the help of restaurant owner – a tax evader from Scandinavia – who helped Biggs in plotting against Lutfur Rahman. A Leopard Never Changes Its Spots.
Case study 3
Arbitrary change of name of the ‘Osmani’ Primary School
The word on the street is that there is a good reason for the uproar.
Councillor Ohid Ahmed’s fight continues as he calls on residents and parents to turn up on Friday 20 January 2017 at 1.30 pm outside the school on Vallance Road, E1 5AD.
Cllr Ohid Ahmed and his colleagues are also trying to persuade the school governors and the Head Teachers to stop this unwise decision with racial overtones.
Ohid Ahmed has already been successful in getting a joint resolution of objection by almost all Councillors at the Tower Hamlets Council including the Mayor, can he now convince the school to change this unwise decision?
Speaking Truth To Power 
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