Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has once again urged the UK to remove Bangladesh from the red-listed countries with travel restrictions noting that there has been an improvement in his country’s Covid-19 situation.

While briefing journalists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, Dr Momen said he raised the issue with his British counterpart Dominic Raab.

Bangladesh highlighted its “robust vaccine roll-out” and significant reductions in Covid infection to 9.82% and sufferings of more than 7000 British-Bangladeshis currently stranded in Bangladesh.

Also read: Vaccine should be a public good without any conditions: FM

Dr Momen said the strategic relations between the two countries should be strengthened with a positive change in the concept of relations and the UK should consider removing Bangladesh from the Covid red-list countries.

If anyone from a red listed country enters the UK, he or she must book a quarantine hotel (cost 2500 pound sterling) and undergo coronavirus tests which are quite expensive.

Bangladesh and the United Kingdom are now holding the fourth Strategic Dialogue in London (Thursday) to review all aspects of the relations between the two countries with a focus on post-Brexit and post-Covid new strategic partnership.

Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen is leading the Bangladesh delegation while Sir Philip Robert Barton, Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is leading the UK side at the dialogue.

The Bangladesh side will raise the issue related to travel restrictions so that the UK removes Bangladesh from the red-list. 

Earlier, Philip Barton and Robert Chatterton Dickson, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh welcomed Masud Bin Momen and his delegation to the 4th UK-BD Strategic Dialogue.

Discussions are now underway on a range of bilateral issues that the both sides think will strengthen the Bangladesh-UK ties.

Also read: Bangladesh to go for Covid vaccine coproduction soon: FM

The Bangladesh-UK Strategic Dialogue was launched in Dhaka in 2017 while the second Strategic Dialogue took place at the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office in March 2018 and the third dialogue was held in Dhaka on April 24, 2019.