Camden restaurateur and charity trustee Sabbir Karim was admitted to the Freedom of the City of London at Guildhall on 22 October 2026, surrounded by family and friends.
The honour marked a personal milestone for the British Bangladeshi chef, who has spent more than 30 years with British Airways and supported charitable work in the UK and Bangladesh.
For Harrow's Bangladeshi community, the story has a connection that reaches beyond the ceremony.
Karim grew up in Moulvibazar, and his charity work shows how ties between London and Bangladesh can translate into practical help, from free medical camps in the district where he grew up to food and livelihood support for families facing hardship.
Karim spent his early childhood in Ekatuna, a village in Bangladesh's Moulvibazar district. He walked miles along muddy roads to school and did his homework by lantern light.
He moved to Britain aged nine, grew up in London council housing and attended Holland Park School.
At 16, he began working in hospitality to help support his family. At 21, he returned to education at Southgate College, where he completed a BTEC National Diploma in Business and Finance while working. At 55, he went back to the classroom again to study law at the University of West London.
Karim still works as an Inflight Leader with British Airways. He is also the chef-patron behind Namaaste Kitchen in Camden Town, Salaam Namaste in Bloomsbury and Namaaste Highgate.
As chair of the SN Free Primary Health Care Trust, Karim has helped deliver 43 free medical camps in Bangladesh. The trust's healthcare programmes have reached more than 7,500 people.
Through the Sabbir Karim Foundation, he has also supported food assistance, youth sport and small-scale projects that help people earn an income.
In the UK, his community work has included helping families during the pandemic, providing meals for NHS staff and frontline workers, and assisting people affected by the Grenfell Tower fire.
He is also a trustee of Sreepur Village, which supports vulnerable mothers and children in Bangladesh. He first visited the charity nearly three decades ago while working as cabin crew.
Speaking about the award, he said:
"Receiving the Freedom of the City of London is a deeply proud moment, and I thank the City of London for this wonderful honour.
"I'm especially grateful to my wife, Aneela, my children, family and friends for their constant love and support.
"I accept this honour with pride, humility and a renewed commitment to helping others. For me, the greatest achievement in life is not what we accumulate, but the kindness we leave behind."
Guests at Guildhall included Anne Clarke AM, former Mayor of Camden Heather Johnson and Professor Tom Selwyn. After the ceremony, Aneela hosted a dinner for family and friends at Salaam Namaste in Bloomsbury.
