Judge Khatun Sapnara, who sits in Canary Wharf’s new family court in Westferry Circus, has been named the “Person of the Year” as the British Bangladeshi Power And Inspiration “100 lists” was unveiled at One Canada Square on Tuesday.
Former Foreign Secretary William Hague announced the first ever winner of the category – “the first person of British Bangladeshi origin in a senior judicial position”.
The British Bangladeshi Power & Inspiration 2015 celebrated the success of 100 British Bangladeshi across 20 categories.
Other guests at the Level39 event included London mayoral hopeful Dame Tessa Jowell, Ann Main MP, Alan Johnson MP and senior representatives of other political parties and invitees from the 2015 list.
Mr Hague said: “I am delighted to be here recognising and celebrating the contribution of the British Bangladeshi community to every walk of British life including business, technology and public life. British Bangladeshis are very much part of the tapestry that makes up the British success story”.
Dame Tessa Jowell said: “I am incredibly proud to be a friend and staunch supporter of BBPI and all that it has achieved. All credit to [founders] Abdal Ullah and Ayesha Qureshi for taking on this important project which highlights role models and inspirations in the British Bangladeshi community at a time when we need to do more to celebrate and recognise that our diversity in London and the UK is what makes us strong as a nation.”
Ayesha Qureshi and Abdal Ullah said in a statement: “We are especially proud that this year the new title of BBPI Person of the Year was awarded to Judge Khatun Sapnara. She is not only an inspiration to young British Bangladeshis, but it was because we wanted to celebrate people like Judge Sapnara that we started BBPI. Congratulations to her and all 100 BBPI names on the 2015 list.”
Syed Nahas Pasha, one of the judging panel, said: “BBPI has become the highlight event of the British Bangladeshi community and does us proud in providing incredible role models for the next generation of leaders and influencers from our community.
“The judging gets harder every year with so much boundless talent in the community. We are delighted to be finding so much undiscovered talent.”
In 2014, Khatun Sapnara was appointed as a Circuit Judge to hear cases in the crown court and family court.