Siraj Ali

Muhammad Siraj Ali (; born 24 November 1954) is a Bangladeshi-born British restaurateur and philanthropist.

Career In 1979, Ali bought the New Curry Centre in Stanford-le-Hope. At the time, Ali's family was the first Bengali family in Thurrock, Essex.

Ali runs the Maharaja restaurant in South Benfleet, Essex. Since 1991, the restaurant has held charity nights, raising close to £2 million for hundreds of charitable causes, including the Multiple Sclerosis Society, NSPCC, British Red Cross and Breast Cancer Awareness, amongst others. Ali has been involved in the Indian catering industry since the 1970s, with a career spanning 40 years.

Ali is the founder chairman of both the Thurrock Bangladesh Welfare Association and the Thurrock Islamic Educational Cultural Centre. He is the general secretary of the Castle Point Bangladeshi Education and Cultural Centre, as well as governor of the Hajji Soyed Ali Primary School and the chairman of the advisory committee of the Essex Bangladesh Welfare Association. In 2015, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by Curry Life magazine.

Ali has arranged around 200 charity events per year for 20 years, raising around £600 to £1,500 an event. It is estimated that he has helped raise £3 million for charity.