M Shahed Rahman, London:

To mark the 20 anniversary of London
nail bomb attacks Brick Lane Act of Remembrance was held on Wednesday 24 April
in front of Brick Lane Police Station with candle light vigil for the victims
& the injured of Brixton, Brick Lane and Soho.

The 1999 London nail bombings were a
series of bomb explosions that took place over three successive weekends. The
first attack took place on 17 April in Brixton, second on 24 April in Brick
Lane and the finally on 30 April in Soho. Fortunately, no one was killed in Brixton
and Brick Lane bombing but unfortunately three people lost their lives in the
Soho attack.

The second bomb, on Saturday 24
April was aimed at Brick Lane in
the East End of London targeting the large Bengali community. There
is a street market on Sundays but the perpetrator mistakenly tried to plant the
bomb on Saturday when the street was less busy. Unwilling to change the timer
on the bomb, he left it instead in a bag on Hanbury Street. There it was picked up by a man, who
brought it to the police station on Brick Lane, which was closed at the time.
He had placed it in the boot of his car which was parked outside Café Naz
on Brick Lane, where it exploded. Thirteen people were injured, and surrounding
buildings and cars were severely damaged. At the time, worshippers were
gathering outside the Brick Lane Mosque for prayers.

At the Remembrance John Biggs, Mayor
of Tower Hamlets stressed the need of unity of all communities and stated Tower
Hamlets as a place of no hate. Mark Healey, Founder of Hate Crime Awareness
Week reminded the bomb attack carried out by Neo Nazi militant & former
member of BNP killed three people in Soho, including a pregnant woman, and
injured 140 people, four of whom lost limbs. LGBT Poet Laureate Trudy Howson
recited a poem and the event ended with a minute silence for the victims. A
plaque was mounted on the wall next to police station as a reminder. The event
was attended by local community & anti-racist activists, Cllrs, Police
Commander, senior Council officials and Emdad Talukder who was injured in the
Brick Lane blast.