Cllr
Luthfur Rahman
OBE
Personal details
BornOctober 1976 (age 47)
Patli, Jagannathpur, Sunamganj, Bangladesh
NationalityBritish
Political partyLabour
Parents
  • Surabur Rahman (father)
  • Fulmala Rahman (mother)
Residence(s)Longsight, Manchester, United Kingdom
ProfessionPolitician

Luthfur Rahman OBE (Bengali: লুথফুর রহমান; born October 1976) is a British Labour Party politician, serving as the deputy leader of Manchester City Council since 2021.[1] In May 2008, he became the first person of Bangladeshi origin to be elected a Councillor on Manchester City Council.[2]

Early life

Rahman was born into a Bengali Muslim family from Shathal in Patli, Jagannathpur in the Sunamganj District of Bangladesh. He is the eldest son of Surabur Rahman, best known as the president of the Greater Manchester Awami League and former chairman of the Shahjalal Mosque and Islamic Centre in Manchester, who migrated to Manchester in 1968 and settled in Longsight.

In 1980 at the age of three Luthfur along with his mother and his siblings joined his father in the UK.[3] He attended local schools St Agnes Primary School and Burnage High School. He would later return to St Agnes Primary School as a School governor and to Burnage High School mentoring for Mosaic Network.[4]

Rahman started his working life in the restaurant trade, working his way up from a waiter to a chef and then manager. At the age of 17, he left Stockport College and opened his own restaurant in Wilmslow. Over the next 22 years, he continued working in the catering trade establishing several different successful restaurants and takeaways. He is a qualified financial adviser and has also worked as an intermediary.[5]

Career

Rahman was first elected to Manchester City Council in 2008 taking the seat from the Liberal Democrats with a swing of over 30 per cent gaining a majority of 1147. He was re-elected in 2012 doubling his majority. In 2010 Rahman was elected by fellow Councillors to be the lead member for the race and equality portfolio at Manchester City Council.[6]

Rahman is Chair of the Young Foundation’s Uprising programme in Greater Manchester which he brought to North West England.[7] Rahman was the first Councillor on Manchester City Council to call for the introduction of the living wage in Manchester.[8]

Recognition

In 2011 Rahman was awarded the Community Champion of the Year at the Local Government Information Unit Councillor Awards.[9] The Local Government Information Unit described Rahman as having

"successfully developed links with marginalised groups across Manchester, and, furthermore, was at the forefront of an effort to bridge the various gaps between different generations. Importantly, after establishing these new connections, Cllr Rahman effectively used these channels to ensure that council decisions were sensitive to the different interests of different sections of the community."[10]

Arts Council England have said of Rahman

"He was integral in the making of the The[sic] Festival of Manchester and helped Manchester achieve the UNESCO City of Literature status."[11]

He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2020 Birthday Honours for services to local government.[12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Councillor Luthfur Rahman". Manchester City Council. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  2. ↑ "Creating a voice for the community". Sylhet Times. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  3. ↑ News Desk (10 October 2020). "ম্যানচেষ্টার সিটির কাউন্সিলার লুৎফুর রহমানের ওবিই খেতাব ভূষিত" (in Bengali). United Kingdom Bangladesh Television (UK BD TV).
  4. ↑ "City's Culture councillor made OBE in Queen's Birthday Honours". Asian Leader. 14 October 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  5. ↑ "About Me". Official Website. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  6. ↑ "Councillor's delight at equality post". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  7. ↑ "UpRising Launched in Manchester & Salford". Young Foundation. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  8. ↑ "Coalition call for Manchester Council to introduce living wage". Manchester Gazette. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  9. ↑ "Longsight councillor wins Community Champion Award". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  10. ↑ "C'llr Awards 2012: Community Champion of the Year". Local Government Information Unit. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  11. ↑ "Councillor Luthfur Rahman". Arts Council England. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  12. ↑ "No. 63135". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 October 2020. p. B14.
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