23 March 2022 Please see update at bottom of page
Just one week after the unveiling of brand new Bangladeshi language signage at Whitechapel Station the sign outside the main entrance is broken and peeling.
The sign is peeling away at the top left and bottom right.
At night the Bangladeshi language sign is unlit, with only the English language sign visible.
Close examination of the photo taken on the day the signs were unveiled shows that they were in a state of disrepair even then.
It is not known who approved this type of sub-standard work as being fit for purpose.
Let’s hope the Council gets this fixed before the election, otherwise the whole exercise might just backfire on them.
Welcome to Whitechapel
On a brighter note the first sight that visitors to Whitechapel can enjoy as they leave the brand new sparkly Crossrail station is a pair of disgustingly dirty waste bins, both of which have recently been puked on.
So at least the standard of street hygiene across the borough is consistent.
Whitechapel station was eventually forecast to cost £831M, £721M more than the original target of £110M.
It is not known if Tower Hamlets Council considered that the cost of a pressure washer and the staff to operate it might be a good way to match the Crossrail investment.
Update 23 March 2022
Apparently the Council’s Communications people have seen this story about the Bengali [language] signs at Whitechapel station and they would like to let us all know they are temporary signs while the glass is under construction. It’s due to be completed and in place by 29 April. That is also why they are not lit up, but they will be when complete.
So now you know. The Council Communications people also think this story is not accurate or fair.
And you know what? They have a point.
Because we failed to mention that the only reason for putting these signs up now is because it is a desperate attempt by Tower Hamlets Labour Party to make it look even more sympathetic to the Bangladeshi population so they might get some more votes in the upcoming local and Mayoral elections.
And of course Tower Hamlets Labour Party are more than happy to spend Council money for party political purposes. Which is not allowed.
The claim is that these temporary signs were erected in time for Bangladesh Independence Day on Saturday 26th March.
And if you believe that you will believe anything.
Having signs in Bangladeshi is quite a nice thing to do and is not a big deal either way.
Reality is that the Labour Party is using and abusing the Bangladeshi language for its own political purposes. It is pure tokenism.
That is why there was such a rush to get these temporary signs up, nothing to do with Bangladesh Independence Day.
Just votes.
If you identify as Bangladeshi, British-Bangladeshi, British-Sylheti or just plain old British But I Am Product of My Bangladeshi Heritage you should ask yourself what sort of people use the Bangladeshi language for their own party political ends?
Note to LBTH Communications: Is that better?
I would say that the fact that the signs are slightly opaque is because they are covered with some form of protective film so do pay attention.The politics behind it I would agree with and also stress their total pointlessness as increasing numbers of young Bangladeshis can’t read the language as well knowing where they are anyway. The major crime is the spelling. Atrocious even allowing for the fact that there is no W in Bengali.
No corrections from any Bangladeshi councillors I see. I was obviously correct about the written language being lost.