Alderman Kawsar Zaman has been an Associate Member of the Trust from the time that Associate Members were first appointed. Given his exceptional talents and commitment to our mission, the Trustees have appointed him as an additional Trustee.
In particular his appointment signficantly reduces the average age of the Trustees! His biography is set out below.
Alderman Kawsar Zaman's biography
Kawsar Zaman was elected as the Alderman for Bishopsgate in the City of London in September 2022. He is the youngest serving member of the Court of Aldermen, and the first from a British Bangladeshi background.
Kawsar grew up in a Council Estate in the East End of London. As the youngest of seven siblings, he went to his local state comprehensive and was the first in his family to go to university. He graduated with a First in Law from the London School of Economics (2HC Scholar), before completing the BCL at Oxford University (OCIS Scholar), and then the LLM at Harvard Law School (Fulbright Scholar).
By profession, Kawsar is a practising Barrister at No5 Barristers’ Chambers specialising in Public, Regulatory and Employment Law. Additionally, he is a Visiting Lecturer in Law at the University of Law and a Guest Teacher in Law at the London School of Economics. He is also a former solicitor at ‘Magic Circle’ law firms Clifford Chance LLP and Allen & Overy LLP, where he specialised in financial services regulatory law.
He holds various appointments including as a Trustee of the Wembley National Stadium Trust; a Trustee of Toynbee Hall; and a Governor at Morpeth Secondary School. In 2020, he founded the ‘Take the COVID-19 Vaccine Campaign’ to encourage vaccine uptake amongst BAME communities and was praised in Parliament.
Kawsar has been the recipient of numerous community awards including: The Channel S Community Award for contributions to the British Bangladeshi community; Muslim News Malcolm X Young Person’s Award for Excellence; and was voted the ‘People’s Choice’ for the British Bangladeshi Power & Inspiration 100. In 2009, he served as a Global Fellow of the Prime Minister.
