Overview
- The Evening Standard reported that several Tower Hamlets councillors are standing or seeking nomination for Bangladesh’s February 2026 general election, naming Sabina Khan and Ohid Ahmed and citing at least one other unnamed councillor.
- A UK Housing Ministry spokesman called the behaviour unacceptable and said councillors must be able to serve the constituents who elected them.
- Tower Hamlets Council said UK law does not automatically disqualify councillors for running for or holding elected office in another country.
- Sabina Khan, elected as a Labour councillor in 2022 before joining Aspire, has been adopted by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party for Golapganj, with local critics and reports alleging poor attendance at council meetings.
- Ohid Ahmed, now an independent after leaving Labour and Aspire, has appeared at BNP events and was profiled as a BNP foreign affairs adviser, while Aspire said Khan would step down from the council if elected in Bangladesh.