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Queen's Park councillor dies
"A sad loss" is how friends have described the death of a popular Queen's Park councillor.
Cllr Mushtaq Qureshi, who served the Queen's Park ward as as Labour councillor since 1994 and was the first Bangladeshi councillor to be elected to Westminster Council, passed away at the age of 76 following a short illness.
He leaves behind his son Murad Qureshi, who followed him onto the council for the Church Street ward in 1998 before being elected to the Greater London Authority in 2004 and 2008, and his daughter Papya Qureshi, who was elected a councillor for the borough's Westbourne ward in 2006.
Cllr Qureshi's family was with him when he died, and are making arrangements to transport his body to Bangladesh as it was his last wish to be buried next to his mother.
Cllr Paul Dimoldenberg, leader of the Labour Group, said: "Mushtaq's death is such a sad loss to his family, to the Bangladeshi community and to his constituents in Queen's Park.
"His commitment to social justice was at the heart of his politics.
"He was a fighter for those in housing need and for people who needed help and assistance.
"He will be sadly missed by the very many people who knew and respected him.
"We have all lost a true friend."
Cllr Qureshi came to England in 1956 and originally settled in Manchester, where he ran a number of restaurants and began a lifelong support for Manchester United football club.
He continued in the restaurant business when he and his family later moved to London.
Before he was elected to Westminster Council, Cllr Qureshi worked at the Paddington Citizens Advice Bureau, in Harrow Road, Queen's Park, where he helped many families with housing, legal and benefits problems.
His family and politics were at the centre of Cllr Qureshi's life, both in Westminster and Bangladesh where he had many friends in the Government.
Westminster mayor Cllr Duncan Sandys also paid tribute to the popular councillor.
He said: "Mushtaq was a hard-working, well-liked and respected councillor who devoted his time and energy to improving the lives of residents and making Westminster a better place to live.
"In his 15 years as a councillor, he did a tremendous amount of good work to improve his ward of Queen's Park.
"Mushtaq will be sorely missed and we offer our sincerest condolences to his family and friends."
Did you know Cllr Mushtaq Qureshi? If you want to offer your own tribute, please email reporter Juliet Eysenck at julieteysenck@trinitysouth.co.uk or leave a comment below.
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He has played a remarkable role in the secular movement in Bangladesh. On behalf of Lord Avebury and International Bangladesh, I would like to send our deepest condolence to his members of the famuliy. He will be greatly missed in our seminars in future.