United News of Bangladesh

British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke on Monday reaffirmed the UK's support for free, fair, credible and peaceful elections in Bangladesh in 2026. “I reaffirmed the UK's support for free, fair, credible and peaceful elections here in Bangladesh next year,” she said while talking to reporters after a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin at the latter's office in the city's Nirbachan Bhaban. Sarah Cooke said the UK welcomes the announcement of the national election by the Chief Adviser a few months ago. Chevening prog reflects strong Dhaka-London partnership: Sarah Cooke Notting that she had a very good meeting with the chief of the Election Commission, she said, “We commend the efforts of the Election Commission and the interim government.” The envoy said the UK along with its international partners is supporting the Election Commission, particularly through national civic education programmes and particularly for vulnerable groups here in the country, and also the training of polling staff. So, the agenda of the meeting was to discuss the UK's support to the Election Commission, she added.

The United Kingdom has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting inclusive development in Bangladesh, pledging to ensure no one is left behind while supporting the rights of indigenous communities and minority groups in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and across the country. British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke visited the Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT) from September 15 to 16 to witness firsthand the impact of UK-funded health programmes supporting marginalised communities in the region. During her visit to Khagrachari and Rangamati, the High Commissioner saw how funding from the UK government, in partnership with the government of Bangladesh, the UN and local partners, has helped improve maternal and child health in the Hill Tracts. Visiting local health centres, she observed how the UK Government has supported mothers to give birth safely, access family planning and also access life-saving cervical cancer screening for the first time. The UK is also funding education programmes in the region, to strengthen government education systems and provide catch-up education to help previously out-of-school children, especially girls, return to mainstream education, said the High Commission. UK envoy Sarah Cooke happy with Yunus’ visit to Britain High Commissioner Sarah Cooke said she was delighted to visit the Chattogram Hill Tracts for the first time as High Commissioner. "I’ve really enjoyed seeing the beautiful natural landscape as well as the warmth and hospitality of the people," she said. “I am proud that, through our partnership with the Government of Bangladesh and our UN and local partners, the UK has supported marginalised and indigenous communities access improved health services and get an education in some of the most remote parts of the country.” Between 2020 and 2024, UK-funded health programmes, implemented by UNFPA, supported over 12,000 safe births through trained midwives. Bangladesh's UK envoy expresses allegiance to upcoming interim govt And more than 8,000 women have received cervical cancer screening. Through the Educate the Most Disadvantaged Children programme, funded by the UK and implemented by UNICEF, children are receiving catch-up education. In Bandarban, over 2,700 children, around half of which are girls, have been supported and are now continuing formal education.

British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke, currently in London, on Thursday said she was pleased with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus’ visit to the UK. "Fantastic to welcome Hon. Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus to the UK this week," she wrote from her verified X handle. The High Commissioner said his (Prof Yunus) wide ranging programme of meetings underscore their "shared commitment to democracy, trade and investment, climate action, regional security and support to the Rohingya." Prof Yunus to meet King Charles before receiving prestigious Harmony Award Chief Adviser Prof Yunus arrived here on Tuesday, beginning his four-day official visit to renew their bilateral ties with the United Kingdom, with an increased focus on economic cooperation, trade and investment. “This is a very important visit,” said acting Foreign Secretary Ruhul Alam Siddique, noting that the relationship between Bangladesh and the UK is very deep and diverse. He emphasised that the visit will play a significant role in strengthening bilateral relations.  

British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke has described the contribution of people of Sylhet to the economy of the United Kingdom as "very valuable”. The people of Sylhet played a significant role in strengthening ties between the two nations, Cooke said while speaking at an Iftar event in Sylhet. FAO, Bangladesh to work together to accelerate food security The Iftar gathering was held at the Grand Sylhet Hotel and Resort on Wednesday evening, organised by the British High Commission. The event was attended by a range of distinguished individuals from various sectors and professions. "Sylhet is instrumental in the growing and ever-stronger relationship between our countries," Cooke said, highlighting the importance of the Sylheti community in the UK. She went on to describe Bangladesh as a long-standing friend and partner of the United Kingdom, with the bond between the two growing stronger each day thanks to the people of Sylhet. Reflecting on the student protests that took place last year, Cooke expressed respect for the courage and peaceful demonstrations of the students. "We honour the students' bravery and peaceful protest. In this context, we are confident that the current interim government will contribute to improving law and order, governance, and fostering national unity.” The British high commissioner also shared her hopes for a prosperous democratic future for Bangladesh, while emphasising the UK’s ongoing support. CA’s press wing slams propaganda against Bangladesh by Indian media She also said the British government had provided Tk 7.5 crore in aid for those affected by the devastating floods in Sylhet last year, alongside support for 50,000 vulnerable individuals. Additionally, she added that the UK had funded initiatives to help Bangladesh mitigate risks associated with climate change. The high commissioner concluded by stressing the importance of further strengthening the relationship between the United Kingdom and Sylhet, noting the potential for even closer collaboration between the two.

British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke has said the United Kingdom (UK) will remain a steadfast partner of Bangladesh, noting that the two countries continue to expand their bilateral trade through the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS). A group of diverse and inspirational Bangladeshi women entrepreneurs representing eight businesses is set to lead a trade mission to the United Kingdom with support from the UK Government SheTrades Programme. “This trade mission will further solidify our trade and investment relationship,” said British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke who hosted a send-off reception at her residence on February 3 to congratulate the entrepreneurs ahead of their departure to the UK. She said the UK government is incredibly proud to support this remarkable group of Bangladeshi women entrepreneurs to develop new markets in the UK. Kuwaiti ambassador discusses state of Bangladeshi workers with foreign affairs adviser “Their inventiveness, tenacity and spirit of entrepreneurship serve as evidence of the enormous potential of Bangladeshi women-led enterprises,” said the High Commissioner. The International Trade Centre is implementing this initiative to bring 50 women-led businesses from four Asian countries (Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Mongolia) and six African countries (Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Mozambique) to Manchester on February 11 to hold business-to-business (B2B) meetings with UK companies. Their visit will involve high-level discussions with investors, legislators and corporate executives in the UK and promote cross-border trade between the two countries including under the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS). The DCTS is the UK’s generous preferential trading scheme which provides duty-free, quota-free trade to Bangladesh on everything but arms. The DCTS gives Bangladesh the opportunity to potentially save £317m in tariffs annually on the country’s exports to the UK, the highest among all countries eligible for DCTS. Women-led companies in the fresh and processed food, textiles and clothing, handicrafts, beauty, information technology and business process outsourcing sectors will have one-on-one meetings with British buyers who want to diversify their supply chains and increase the competitiveness of their products. The businesses chosen from Bangladesh are TMSS ICT and Handicrafts, SuperTel, Opus Technology, Tarango Bangladesh, Parijat Bangladesh, TANIS Bangladesh and Leatherina. Cooperation on Rohingya, climate, migration issues to continue: Switzerland Five of these companies already possess the certification needed to enter the UK market and the remaining three are currently being supported by the British Standard Institute (BSI) with necessary accreditation. This Mission is hosted in partnership with the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce and financed by UK International Development as part of the SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme, said the British High Commission in Dhaka. The London Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and the West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce are also supporting the event.

Adviser Mahfuj Alam on Wednesday sought the support of the United Kingdom to bring back the money laundered from Bangladesh and run the economy that was left in fragile condition by the past autocratic regime. “Laundered money has gone from our land to your land... we want that money back to run our economy,” Mahfuj told British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke when the latter met him at his office in Tejgaon. Mahfuj raised the issue of a fresh travel alert that drew widespread attention on Tuesday with the British envoy, according to the Chief Adviser’s press wing. High Commissioner Cooke cited a Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office report to assure the adviser that the UK constantly reviews travel advice for each country to ensure it includes up to date information and advice on the most relevant issues for British people visiting or living here. Mahfuj explained to the High Commissioner the efforts of the government to create a national consensus on various issues, including the election process. “It’s our revolution, and we have to protect it,” he said. “The ideals of the July Revolution were basically dignity. Bangladeshi people did not have dignity for many years. So, they have kind of an emotional attachment to this revolution. They also fought for equality and justice,” Mahfuj said. High Commissioner Cooke highlighted the challenges ahead of the interim government and the UK support to the interim government’s work to create a pathway to an inclusive democratic future in Bangladesh.

British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke presented the insignia of an honorary Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) to Dr Shehlina Ahmed, a former British High Commission Dhaka employee. Her contribution is widely recognised across the health sector in the country. FM to join EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum in Brussels February 2 British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke said, “I am pleased to present the award to Dr Shehlina Ahmed on behalf of late Queen Elizabeth II. I had the pleasure to work with Dr Ahmed in my previous role and witnessed her excellent work.” The High Commissioner said Dr Shehlina has played an exemplary role to help transform Bangladesh’s health sector and strengthen the ties between the two great countries. “I congratulate her on receiving this prestigious honorary award.” Bangladesh, Russia discuss ways to strengthen trade, investment ties Dr Shehlina was announced as a recipient of the award in 2022 for services to health sector development in Bangladesh. The insignia was presented at a ceremony held at the Residence of the British High Commissioner in Dhaka on Wednesday. Dr Shehlina received the honorary MBE for her excellent work from 2009 to 2021 to lead the UK Government’s work in Bangladesh to support improvements in the health sector. Russian Ambassador dismisses claims made by BNP’s Gayeshwar Throughout her 13-year career with the then UK Department for International Development (DFID) and British High Commission, Dhaka, Dr Shehlina displayed exceptional commitment to delivering effective UK aid to improve the lives of poor and excluded people in Bangladesh.