Communities

Bangladeshi TV in the UK

Tower Hamlets has the largest Bangladeshi community anywhere outside Bangladesh, and most British Bangladeshi families trace their roots to Sylhet. The census counts more than 640,000 people of Bangladeshi heritage in England and Wales.

Updated 6 October 2026 · By the IPTV UK editorial desk

How do Bangladeshi families in the UK watch TV?

Bangla news channels run through the day in many homes, alongside UK-made Bangla channels. Bangladesh is 5 hours ahead in summer and 6 in winter.

What does the census say?

Measure	People
Born in Bangladesh Census 2021 TS012, Bangladesh	273,042
Main language: Bengali (including Sylheti) Census 2021 TS024, people aged 3 and over	199,495
Ethnic group: Bangladeshi Census 2021 TS021	644,881

Where does the community live?

The council areas in England and Wales with the most people counted by the ethnic-group figure, out of 318:

Tower Hamlets107,33334.6% of residents
Newham55,67715.9% of residents
Birmingham48,2324.2% of residents
Redbridge31,89510.3% of residents
Barking and Dagenham22,39310.2% of residents
Oldham21,7549% of residents
Luton20,6309.2% of residents
Camden14,3566.8% of residents

Our town pages with a large Bangladeshi community: Birmingham, Cardiff, Newcastle upon Tyne, Bradford, Portsmouth, Luton.

This is what people from the community ask us about, not a promise that every channel is in the line-up today. We confirm specific channels in writing before you buy.

Ask us to confirm these channels

What are the legal ways to watch from the UK?

UK Bangla channelsChannel S and other Bangla channels are made in London and sold on UK pay TV.
Official YouTube streamsSomoy TV, Jamuna TV and other Bangla news channels stream live on their own YouTube channels.
BongoA Bangladeshi streaming service with dramas and films, sold outside Bangladesh.

Availability and prices change; check the provider's own site before you subscribe.

Sport and kick-off times

Cricket: Bangladesh's internationals and the Bangladesh Premier League in winter.

Time in Bangladesh now—

UK time now—

Bangladesh is 5 hours ahead of the UK in the British summer and 6 hours ahead of the UK in winter. Busiest viewing: Ramadan, Eid and Bangladesh cricket.

Try it before you pay

The free 24-hour trial gives the full line-up, including the channel groups for Bengali and Sylheti. If it suits your family, plans start at £6.25 a month.

More communities

Other community pages

Readers also ask

How many Bangladeshi families live in England and Wales?

Census 2021 counted 273,042 (born in Bangladesh); 199,495 (main language: Bengali (including Sylheti)); 644,881 (ethnic group: Bangladeshi). Scotland and Northern Ireland run separate censuses.

Can I watch Channel i in the UK?

Ask us before you buy and we confirm in writing whether it is in the current line-up, or check it during the free 24-hour trial. Legal routes from the UK include UK Bangla channels, Official YouTube streams, Bongo.

What time are Bangladesh programmes in the UK?

Bangladesh is 5 hours ahead of the UK in the British summer and 6 hours ahead of the UK in winter. So a 9pm programme at home airs at 16:00 UK time in summer.

Sources

Census 2021, TS012 Country of birth (detailed) checked 6 October 2026
Census 2021, TS024 Main language (detailed) checked 6 October 2026
Census 2021, TS021 Ethnic group checked 6 October 2026

Try before you pay

Watch it on your own telly for 24 hours. Free.

Send a message and we reply with your log-in, usually within minutes. If you buy afterwards, plans start at £6.25 a month, and the first 14 days are covered by a full refund.

Ask on WhatsApp Ask by email