UK Minister Trevelyan in Dhaka to boost bilateral ties

UK Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, arrived in Dhaka on a two-day visit on Tuesday morning in an effort to "strengthen modern economic, security and migration partnership" between Bangladesh and the UK.

Director General (North America and acting in charge of West Europe and EU) Khandker Masudul Alam welcomed her at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

The British minister of state is expected to pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and meet with Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud, education minister, civil aviation and tourism minister, private industry and investment adviser to prime minister, and attend other official engagements during the visit, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

State Minister for Finance Waseqa Ayesha Khan will host a dinner in honour of the visiting British Minister of State at the state guesthouse Padma Tuesday evening.

UK-Bangladesh cooperation is set to increase on priority areas including migration, economic reform and security, said the British High Commission in Dhaka in an announcement.

On her second visit to Bangladesh in her role as the Indo-Pacific minister, she will reaffirm the UK’s commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Discussions are expected to focus on UK-Bangladesh migration cooperation, trade and economic ties, and the UK’s support to the Rohingya refugee response.

The UK minister will also meet business leaders, humanitarian actors, climate experts and, in meetings with civil society organisations and political leaders, she will recognise the importance of democracy and human rights as foundations for long-term growth and prosperity.

Minister Trevelyan will also announce new UK support to equip and empower youth and vulnerable groups in Bangladesh to engage in climate action.

Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, said: “I’m pleased to be back in Bangladesh with our new trade policy project marking an important step forward towards closer UK-Bangladesh collaboration, boosting our economic ties."

She said they remain steadfast in their support for the Rohingyas in Myanmar and Bangladesh, and will provide £12 million of new humanitarian assistance, to increase access to clean water, healthcare, shelter, and protection services for Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh.

British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Sarah Cooke, said: “Delighted to welcome UK Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, to Bangladesh. The UK’s long-standing friendship with Bangladesh is cemented by the deep cultural and people-to-people links between our two countries."

"The UK-Bangladesh partnership continues to go from strength to strength. From our joint work to tackle economic challenges, to our steadfast support for the Rohingya, and our partnership on climate change, we are determined to do more together.”

Reaffirming the UK’s sustained support for the Rohingya people, Minister Trevelyan will announce £12 million (over Tk163 crore) of new UK humanitarian assistance to support Rohingya refugees and neighbouring host communities in Bangladesh.

The new funding will provide clean water, healthcare, shelter and protection services. It will also support the development of the camp’s infrastructure to help protect it from natural disasters.

This assistance will be implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and UN Population Fund (UNFPA).

Since 2017, the UK has provided £391 million ($487 million) to support the Rohingyas, and neighbouring host communities in Bangladesh.

Minister Trevelyan will also announce a new trade policy project with the Government of Bangladesh.

The UK will provide technical assistance to Bangladesh to strengthen trade policy capability and implement reforms.

The project will support Bangladesh tackle economic challenges and graduate successfully from Least Developed Country status in 2026.

Source: UNB