British High Commissioner Sarah Cooke paid a courtesy call on Opposition Leader Md Shafiqur Rahman, also the Ameer of Jamaat e Islami, at his office in Parliament on Wednesday.

They discussed a range of issues of mutual interest, including Bangladesh’s political and economic situation, bilateral trade and investment, and migration, according to a press release issued from Parliament.

During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on the country’s post-election political and economic landscape, the upcoming national budget, prospects for expanding trade and investment between Bangladesh and the United Kingdom, and other issues related to bilateral relations.

The Opposition Leader appreciated the United Kingdom’s contributions to Bangladesh’s development and highlighted the importance of further strengthening parliamentary democracy in the country. He also emphasised the need for enhancing the capacity of Members of Parliament through training and institutional support.

The British High Commissioner praised Jamaat-e-Islami’s shadow government and shadow budget initiatives, and underscored the importance of deepening cooperation between the two countries, according to a press release.

Both sides expressed optimism that the longstanding friendly relations between Bangladesh and the UK, particularly in the areas of trade, investment and development cooperation, would continue to expand and become more dynamic in the coming years.