One minute interview gives you a chance to hear about your fellow members, as we share with you the array of members from various backgrounds and professions who are part of BritBangla.

BritBangla is about its member, highlighting our outstanding individuals and displaying the talented professionals and entrepreneurs within the network.

Through this hopefully you will get brief insight of a member’s profession be it it’s in the world of music or environmental campaigner and will play an inspiration to you.

We are starting with members who are in the world of media… so here’s introducing you to Saj Choudhury who’s a BBC Sports Journalist and many you may already know him from our networking events too.

Drop BritBangla line if you are keen to be featured!

Email: britbangla@britbangla.net

SAJ CHOWDHURY - BBC JOURNALIST

Q. So why a sports journalist?

A. Well, I studied journalism at Leeds Uni and lived with five other lads where sport was one of the major topics of the household. Best not discuss the others!

By luck, I landed an opportunity to work for three weeks unpaid for, as it was then, the sport sub-section on the BBC News website in 1999 - a year after I had graduated.

Even though I had trained as a journo, my main role was cropping pictures and audio for stories written by others... my bosses eventually trusted me to write stories and made me a staff member. Bless them.

Q. Not many Bengalis writing about sport are there?

A. Very true. I guess I'm lucky that my mum was, and is, pretty cool about the field I went into. The fact I work for the BBC does tick a box for those who were so hopeful that I'd become a .......well, you know which trades.

There are already a few making their way in media too, which is brilliant. I think parents are becoming more open to the idea of letting their kids explore less traditional fields of work - long may that continue.

Q. Any career tips to making it into the world of journalism?

If anybody wants to make their way in journalism then I suggest they offer their services to the local papers. Build a portfolio of stories. Big media institutions prefer a candidate with experience more so than one with an Oxbridge degree. Also, make sure you're not scared of cold-calling - if you want that scoop, then be prepared to pick up that phone.

Q. What's life like at the BBC? Is it quite snobby?

I'm into my 11th year now at the BBC so I've encountered a wide-range of people, of which about 99% were lovely.

Of course, there is snobbery at every place of work, but at Television Centre most are pretty down-to-earth - the chattiest are usually the news presenters. Recently, I had a brief conversation about soup with Zeinab Badawi - it can be quite a random place. In case you're interested, Badawi is a fan of pea and mint.

Q. Who have you interviewed? Any memorable moments?

In the world of sport, I've interviewed greats such as Michael Owen, Alan Shearer, Jurgen Klinsmann, Cathy Freeman, Venus Williams, Boris Becker, Lewis Hamilton. It's been amazing, but surreal.

I've also interviewed Zara Phillips twice, at Sports Personality and Sport Relief. Because she's royalty, there were moments where my northern accent suddenly turned very RP. It was also quite unnerving having her entourage watch your every word.

As mentioned above, I worked on Sport Relief 2010 and had the chance to 'grill' people in the world of entertainment. During the filming of a special A Question of Sport, I was asked to chat to comedian Frank Skinner. Unfortunately, there was one question I asked that was grammatically incorrect (basically, conversation-speak) to which he responded with the rhetorical, "Who are you? Dizzee Rascal?"

Q. Is there anything else you would like to do?

I guess we all have dreams. I want to write a comedy and/or a drama. I also want to write a book for kids. Better start typing...

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SAMIUL KAMAL-UDDIN - ARCHITECT

Architect, Samiul Kamal-Uddin, graduated from Bath and Oxford Brookes University. He moved to London in 2002, has been working full-time since mainly in the UK, also in USA and Africa. Also, he's involved in youth mentoring and is passionate about the young to achieve their potential in life.

Q. What made you want to pursue Architecture?

I enjoy being creative...

Well I think it started with my passion for art. I would draw anything as a kid. Also, the fact that I always had an endless supply of lego to play with probably fuelled the creative juice.

When I was 12, my father suggested I could be an Architect - he explained it was someone who had their drawings built. I think he could see I was not particularly keen on Science or Maths - and that I was happier with a crayon in my hand, so he cunningly put the idea in my head so that at Ieast I would still pursue a 'profession'. I was hooked.
It fascinated me that I could help to change the environment, and literally leave my mark. I suppose that's what still gives me a buzz.

Luckily, my father was open-minded enough to fuel my interest, rather then lead me away from it.

Q. So you're handy with a pencil?

I like to think so! Even though you can use 3D programs now, and the technical info is all produced on CAD, the first hand sketch can still provide an atmospheric aspiration and provokes an emotional response that computer graphics cannot. Basically, I get to show-off in a fraction of the time.

Q. Is it a long training course to be an architect?

It is roughly, you need a Degree and a Diploma, and need to get qualified. The whole course is about 7 Years; however, it has a great deal of variety, as you don't just study at university. Work experience, overseas study visits, foreign exchanges all form part of the training, so I always found it fun and challenging.

Q. Are you building anything interesting?

Well, I recently finished an office in Leeds for Land Securities with the company I work at ESA Architects, one of UK's leading architectural practices - I did all these crazy orange and red walls that began at the entrance and then wiggled its way around the space creating the reception desk, meeting pods, and ultimately becomes a servery/bar at the end. The client and everyone who uses the space really loved it, and said how much they liked working there. That made me happy.

I'm a lead designer in a team doing a Medical HQ that has just gone on site near Reading. It's for Stryker Ltd and they are leaders in the worldwide orthopaedic market. They mainly design and distribute human joint replacements. Quite cool - looking at the titanium alloy joints reminds me of Terminator.

Another project I have going on is regenerating some of the shops and courtyards Windsor Town centre to make it more modern and attractive.

Q. Architects have big egos don't they?

Some do, especially, the ones with the big black glasses, and black roll necks. Though that generation of Architects are phasing out….and I think the recession definitely brought all Architects down to earth!

Q. So is it actually rewarding?

For me it definitely is and I do enjoy being an Architect.

Although it can be frustrating that getting a drawing to become a reality can take so long! Only a small percentage of what we design actually makes it off the drawing board or computer screen, as is the case nowadays, so we suffer from the 'frustrated artist' syndrome.

Q. You're quite passionate about helping the young people, how did that come about and why?

Outside my regular '9-5' job…I'm involved in setting up a Mentoring Programme with a number of schools in East London to encourage students to pursue a more positive future. I find it very rewarding. I've already done a talk to parents/ teachers, and the next task is to set them a project so that they can get into teams and design a cool building. Maybe a games den.

I got into mentoring to make a direct positive impact on our society. This relates back to why I pursued Architecture in the first place, except also I wanted to do something immediate as buildings take time. Youths are vulnerable to influences, good and bad, which determines how they will turn out as adults, and what kind of impact they will have on society as a whole eventually. I have personal experience with growing up in the UK, and questions surrounding identity, career, etc are familiar to me as a British Bengali so kids can relate to that too.

So being involved in a Mentorship Programme allows me to bring my experience and helpfully encourage youths to consider and realise that there is a wide variety of positive options for them. I know this can make a difference, as having already done a talk, it was really rewarding for me to have the parents thank me afterwards which made me realise that they also appreciate 'stepping out of the box', and assisting their children to make a better future.

Q Finally…anything you really want to build?

Build a decent space station!
No joke…I read they had Architects involved in building the current one due to be completed next year, but because of budget constraints they did not take on board any of the comforts for the astronauts. They don't even have a hot shower!. Also, the site visits would be amazing…

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