Wali Tasar Uddin Explained

Wali Tasar Uddin
Honorific Suffix:MBE
Native Name:ওয়ালি তাসার উদ্দিন
Native Name Lang:bn
Birth Date:17 April 1952
Birth Place:Moulvibazar, Sylhet District, East Bengal, Pakistan
Nationality:Bangladeshi
Citizenship:British
Style:Bangladeshi/Indian cuisine
Spouse:Syeda Uddin (married 1975–present)
Children:5
Relatives:Foysol Choudhury (nephew)

Wali Tasar Uddin, MBE (Bengali: ওয়ালি তাসার উদ্দিন; born 17 April 1952) is a Bangladeshi-born British entrepreneur, restaurateur, community leader and humanitarian.

Early life

Tasar Uddin was born on 17 April 1952 in Moulvibazar, Sylhet District, East Bengal, Pakistan (now Bangladesh). He completed his secondary education at Moulvibazar Government High School. In 1967, at the age of 15, he moved to the United Kingdom, where he earned a Higher National Certificate (HNC) from Putney College of Further Education and began to work in restaurants in London. In 1975, he married Sydea, and the following year they moved to Edinburgh, Scotland.[1] [2]

Community work

Tasar Uddin has received many awards for his contribution and work in the communities. In 1984, he was appointed as the Justice of the peace, the first Bangladeshi to hold the post, and from 1993 to 1997 he became the first Bangladeshi to be a member of the Honorary Consul in Scotland.[3]

Business career

Tasar Uddin is also notable for being successful in the Indian restaurant industry in Scotland, most notably for owning the "Britannia Spice" restaurant, which has received over 10 awards for being one of the top restaurants in Scotland. His son now runs the "Verandah on Haymarket", which has been frequented by A-list celebrities, including Clint Eastwood and Sir Cliff Richard.[4] He also has long chain of Indian restaurant companies throughout the United Kingdom, and is the chairman of the Universal Koba Corporation Limited.[5]

Other work

Tasar Uddin is the current chairman of the British-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce, which was created in 1991. The Chamber has operated as a networking business hub for the British Bangladeshi community who have British business or interests in Bangladesh. The organisation has held a number of trade and investment meetings with such as the Home Secretary and the then Prime Minister of Bangladesh.[6]

Awards, recognition and honours

In 1995, Tasar Uddin was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1995 New Year Honours for his services to race relations.[1] [7]

In 2007, Tasar Uddin received an honorary doctorate from Heriot-Watt University.[8]

Personal life

Tasar Uddin is married to Syeda, and has five children.[1] Uddin's nephew is businessman Foysol Choudhury.[9]

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Dr Wali Tasar Uddin MBE, JP, FRSA, D.Litt . Restaurant Hall of Fame . https://web.archive.org/web/20120219082156/http://www.resthof.co.uk/tuddin.htm . 19 February 2012 . 13 December 2008.
  2. Book: 2016 . Debrett's People of Today 2016 . Debrett's . Credo Reference.
  3. Web site: Dr. Wali Tasar Uddin, MBE, DBA, JP . British Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce . https://web.archive.org/web/20081118195413/http://www.bbcc.org.uk/wali.htm . 18 November 2008 . 13 December 2008.
  4. Web site: Britannia Spice Awards. Britannia Spice. 13 December 2008.
  5. Web site: Founding members, advisors and patrons. European Bangladesh Federation Commerce and Industry. 13 December 2008. Wali Tasar Uddin
  6. Web site: Wali Tasar Uddin. Bangladesh-British Chamber of Commerce. 13 December 2008.
  7. Web site: Wali Tasar Uddin. Honorary Members. BritBangla. 13 December 2008.
  8. Web site: John Archer — A Tribute. Annual Review 2007 : Principal's Review. 29 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160305032855/http://www1.hw.ac.uk/annual-review/2007/people_awards.html . 5 March 2016.
  9. News: Ahmed. Syed Shah Salim. Foysol Choudhury Re-elected Chair for Edinburgh & Lothian Regional Race Equality Council. GBNews24.com. 14 November 2013. 1 January 2015.