Why are London councillors running for office in Bangladesh?

Communities Secretary Steve Reed, who is in charge of local government, has said he is “appalled” that serving London councillors are campaigning to become MPs in another country. 

He wrote to Tower Hamlets Council after it was revealed by The Standard that at least two of the borough’s elected representatives had launched campaigns to stand in upcoming elections in Bangladesh. Residents in Mile End have called on Sabina Khan to resign after she announced she was standing for the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) in polls in February. Independent councillor Ohid Ahmed, who represents Lansbury ward in Poplar, is also campaigning to become a BNP candidate. 

It comes as government envoys were sent into Tower Hamlets Council last year, over concerns about the party’s leadership, governance and culture. But are these councillors breaking the law by running for office abroad? The Standard’s Chief Political Correspondent Rachael Burford joins us with the latest.

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