If you visit a metro station in London, the capital of the United Kingdom, one thing that will catch your eye is its signboard. At Whitechapel station, the name is written not only in English but also in Bengali.
Now, a British lawmaker has demanded the removal of the Bengali writing from the signboard at Whitechapel station. His demand has been supported by Elon Musk, one of the world’s richest individuals, CEO of electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla, and owner of the social media platform X.
A large number of Bangladeshis reside in this area of East London. Indian news outlet NDTV reported this information on Monday (February 10).
According to the report, Rupert Lowe, a Member of Parliament (MP) from Great Yarmouth, has called for the removal of Bengali from the signboard at Whitechapel station. Sharing a picture of the signboard on his X handle, he wrote, “This is London. Signboards should be in English. And only in English.”
Lowe, a member of the far-right party Reform UK, saw his post go viral on social media. Following this, billionaire Elon Musk commented in support of him. Responding to Lowe’s post on his X handle, Musk simply wrote, “Yes.”
Many others have also supported Lowe, while others have argued that there is nothing wrong with having the station’s name written in another language.
A significant number of Bengalis live in East London, especially Bangladeshi nationals. This is why, in 2022, the Tower Hamlets Council decided to include Bengali alongside English on the station’s signboard.
However, not even three years after that decision, British MP Rupert Lowe is now demanding the removal of Bengali signage from the station.