Tower Hamlets is under investigation over concerns that it could be funnelling money to Bangladeshi community groups, The Telegraph can disclose. Steve Reed, the Communities Secretary, has given three envoys sent into the east London council in 2024 new powers to review how community grants are distributed “compared to local demography”. The borough is led by Mayor Lutfur Rahman, who was previously found guilty of electoral fraud. Mr Rahman’s Aspire Party runs the council and fielded only Bangladeshi candidates at the last election. Around 35 per cent of the population of Tower Hamlets is Bangladeshi. The investigation will give the ministerial envoys new powers to carry out a “deep dive” into the “use of resources compared to local demography”. The review will consider whether the amount of money given to certain areas correlates with their level of deprivation. It will also look into whether some officials are fast-tracking housing applications and whether advisers have been “giving certain groups a direct line to the mayor”. Lutfur Rahman (centre) was previously found guilty of electoral fraud – …