Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will virtually launch the global hub on locally-led adaptation (LLA) on Sunday in Dhaka.    Locally Led Adaptation (LLA), which involves shifting power to local stakeholders to lead and meaningfully participate in adaptation actions, can unlock the enormous potential and creativity of communities to develop and implement solutions, while catalyzing adaptation that is more effective, equitable, and better targeted at local needs, officials said. The government of Bangladesh and the Global Center on Adaptation will host the launching ceremony at the Foreign Service Academy. The event will be a “key milestone” for the government of Bangladesh to reinforce its global leadership on locally led adaptation, building on the momentum generated during COP27, officials said. The 8th Secretary General of the United Nations and Chair of the Board, Global Center on Adaptation Ban Ki-moon will speak as special guest while Chief Executive Officer, Global Center on Adaptation Prof. Dr. Patrick Verkooijen will deliver keynote speech at the launching ceremony.  Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md. Shahab Uddin and British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson will also speak. The impacts of climate change are most acutely felt by socially and economically disadvantaged and marginalized people, because of their higher vulnerability and lower adaptive capacity. Read more: PM opens 29 development projects, lays foundation stones of 4 others However, these communities and individuals are not just victims of climate change. Decades of experience and learning in the development and environment sectors have shown that when enabled, they are very effective leaders in finding and implementing solutions to address local challenges. In September 2020, the Global Center on Adaptation’s South Asia Regional Office was inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. During the launching ceremony, Sheikh Hasina called on the GCA to promote the sharing of the experiences of Bangladesh, and of other countries, on building the climate resilience of most vulnerable communities. In response, the GCA is launching the global hub on Locally Led Adaptation in the Dhaka office, to serve as a global center of excellence on supporting local communities to lead on adaptation. The government of Bangladesh, which hosts the GCA Regional Office and the Global Hub on LLA, is a key strategic partner in this effort. The long-term goal of the global hub on LLA is to promote LLA at scale, with speed, to reduce climate risks for populations and sections of society that are most vulnerable to climate change. The Hub will implement activities that promote progress towards scaling up LLA in at least 25 countries by 2025. Read more: PM opens 19th Asian Art Biennale in Dhaka The Hub will identify LLA best practices and scale them via investments and partnerships; while advocating, and building capacity, for broader systemic change towards locally led adaptation in countries.  

British High Commissioner Robert Chatterton Dickson Monday said the UK is ready to send independent observers to the national election of Bangladesh if the country's Election Commission allows for it. "To ensure democratic institutions are effective, fair and credible elections are a must. A fair election must ensure that all parties are allowed to participate.  Everyone should be able to cast their vote freely, and the results of the election must be accepted by all parties," he added. "However, no foreign nation can tell Bangladesh how to conduct its election, and the demand for a fair election must come from the people of Bangladesh." Robert Chatterton Dickson was speaking at the "Meet the Ambassador" event, jointly organised by the Centre for Governance Studies and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Dhaka. He said the upcoming change in leadership in the UK would not shift the country's geostrategic focus from Indo-Pacific. Read: UN special envoy for Myanmar in Dhaka "The Bangladesh-UK relations is very strong now. And I am hopeful that this will continue to grow stronger in the future," he added. About Rohingya repatriation, Robert Chatterton Dickson said there is no quick and easy solution to the current problem and ensured that the UK would continue to provide Bangladesh with funding, as well as advocate for the issue at the UN Security Council.

British High Commission in Dhaka has celebrated Queen’s birthday party after a gap of two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic and vowed to boost girls’ life chances allowing them to dream big for the future. This year, the event held on Wednesday evening had a special significance as Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating her platinum jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne. Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury joined the reception celebrating the birthday party as guest of honour. British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson said the Queen has been an “incredible source” of strength for the UK and the Commonwealth through a period of enormous change. Also read:Bangladesh, Serbia keen to further strengthen bilateral partnership

British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson on Sunday said their shared aim is to see “voluntary, safe and dignified” repatriation for the Rohingya as soon as conditions in Myanmar allow.  “Bangladesh continues to be extraordinarily generous in its response. The refugees have access to healthcare, food, shelter, and water and sanitation,” he said while addressing a programme hosted by Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU). DRU President Nazrul Islam Mithu and General Secretary Nurul Islam Hasib also spoke at the event. The High Commissioner said they have seen generosity in the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines for refugees. Also read: World now looks at Bangladesh with admiration, says Dickson He, however, said despite progress, the situation remains challenging both for the Rohingyas, especially for women, and for their hosts in Bangladesh. “We’re leading donor to the international response to the Rohingya refugee crisis having contributed over £320m since 2017 to support both refugees in the camps and host communities including in building resilience against COVID-19,” said the High Commissioner. Describing the Rohingya crisis as a “tragedy for all involved,” the British High Commissioner said no one chooses to live in a refugee camp or to host a large influx of displaced people. “As with so many other refugees worldwide, the great majority of the Rohingya population say they want to return home,” said the British envoy, adding that they are ensuring the Rohingyas and Bangladesh are not forgotten. High Commissioner Dickson said they raise the plight of the Rohingya on the international stage, including in the UN Security Council. “As a new Dialogue Partner of ASEAN, we support the efforts of the ASEAN Special Envoy.” Also read:Bangladesh seeks investment from expatriate business community in UAE Bangladesh is now hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char Island.

Describing the UK’s admiration for what had been achieved in Bangladesh over the past 50 years, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson on Wednesday said they will continue to work with Bangladesh in its efforts to achieve a smooth and successful graduation. “Graduation is a milestone, not a finishing line. We’ll continue to work with Bangladesh to achieve a smooth and successful graduation,” he said, adding that they have also decided to provide continued duty-free, quota-free access to the UK market for three years after graduation, to 2029. While speaking at “DCAAB Talk”, the envoy said he was delighted that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would be visiting London and Manchester to engage with British businesses during her visit to the UK. Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) hosted the event. DCAB President Pantho Rahaman and its General Secretary AKM Moinuddin also spoke at the event. The High Commissioner reflected on the huge challenge ahead at COP26 and said the UK is looking forward to welcoming Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and welcoming the Bangladesh delegation to Glasgow. “This was just one sign of the way that the UK was working with an increasingly confident, prosperous and outward-looking Bangladesh on the world stage, as we headed into the next 50 years of partnership,” he said. At the High Commission in Bangladesh, Dickson said his teams were engaged deeply in issues such as climate and biodiversity, maritime security and many other areas, including working with British businesses to build a trade and investment relationship as Bangladesh graduated from Least Developed to Middle Income Country status. Read: COP26: Dickson says Bangladesh has particular role in 3 areas Regional Security Challenges The High Commissioner said the UK is working closely with the government of Bangladesh on regional security challenges. A particular challenge is the Rohingya crisis that was created by the actions of the Myanmar army over four years ago, he said. The UK was very clear that the shared objectives were for the Rohingya to go home to Rakhine state, as soon as it could happen in a way that was “voluntary, dignified and safe”. “No one wanted to live in a refugee camp. Events in Myanmar were moving in a way that was worrying, so it seemed the Rohingya would likely remain in Bangladesh for some time to come,” said the High Commissioner. The UK is working closely with the government of Bangladesh to ensure the extraordinary generosity in hosting the Rohingyas continued, and that the funding was there to provide the refugees with the healthcare, food, shelter, water and sanitation they needed until they could return to Myanmar. The UK had contributed over £320m to the global response, working closely with allies on camp conditions and building resilience, including against Covid-19. The High Commissioner was concerned about recent violence at the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar. Read: Election should be Bangladesh-led process: Dickson He said the UK was exploring ways that refugees could be given more productive ways to spend their time, with the opportunity for them to volunteer, provide camp services and basic livelihoods, and for children to be educated. On a global stage, he said, the UK also makes sure this crisis is not forgotten. “The UK is the penholder on the crisis in the UN Security Council and works hard to keep it on the agenda, despite not having full support from all UNSC members.” Dickson said the UK is also using its new status as a Dialogue Partner to ASEAN and supporting the ASEAN Special Envoy to support better outcomes in Myanmar. The High Commissioner said the solution was leadership – leaders needed to lead people away from exploiting division, towards healing it. He said the UK was continuing to support the government of Bangladesh in its response to the Covid-19 pandemic. On vaccines, the envoy said, the UK was providing all its support globally, including to Bangladesh, through the COVAX programme. “The UK was not on the front page but was a significant part of the effort.”

The UK's Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office will provide £300,000 of financial support to Bangladesh-based Solshare, one of the 15 finalists in the inaugural Earthshot Prize competition. British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson has made the announcement. To mark the occasion, the British High Commissioner hosted a celebratory event where guests learned more about Solshare’s ground-breaking work to repair our planet, and the finalists received a personal message from HRH Prince William, who congratulated them on their fantastic achievement. Congratulating Solshare, the High Commissioner said reaching the final three in the global Earthshot competition is a huge achievement for Solshare. "I am delighted that FCDO will now provide £300,000 to a partnership between Shakti Foundation and Solshare, to help scale up their innovative model using rooftop solar home systems for peer-to-peer energy exchange networks, enabling poor households both to generate electricity from a renewable source and gain an income by selling their surplus energy to the national grid," he said. The High Commissioner said Solshare’s innovative work will help Bangladesh move towards carbon neutrality and improve the lives and livelihoods of millions of Bangladeshis. Launched by Prince William and The Royal Foundation in October 2020, The Earthshot Prize is the most prestigious global environment prize in history.

British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson on Monday said the ties between Bangladesh and the United Kingdom (UK) are wide and deep. He said they will continue to work with Bangladesh in the spirit of steadfast friendship embodied by "His Royal Highness.” "I am grateful to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and to the people of Bangladesh for your kind messages of support and condolence at this time," Dickson said.  On Friday, Buckingham Palace announced the death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. "Our thoughts and condolences are with The Queen and the Royal Family during this sad time." The funeral will take place at St George’s Chapel, Windsor on April 17 at 1500 UK time. The service will begin with a national minute’s silence across the UK at 1500 UK time and will be a Ceremonial Royal Funeral, the form of funeral that was held for Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother in 2002. Also read: UK proposes launching of Bangladesh-UK Trade, Investment Dialogue The UK has now entered a period of national mourning that will last until 0800 on April 18. Flags will be flown at half-mast across UK Government buildings during this time, said the British High Commission. Given the current public health situation, physical "Books of Condolence" will not be available for the public to sign at the British High Commission in Dhaka. Members of the public wishing to express their condolences are welcome to send a message to the Royal Family via the online Book of Condolence on this website: www.royal.uk/books-condolence, said the High Commissioner. “As the Prime Minister has said, we are a nation united in both grief and gratitude. Grief at Prince Philip’s passing, and gratitude for his lifetime of dedicated service to our country," Dickson said. Also read: Kamran always promoted BD-UK people-to-people ties: Dickson He said, "Whether as a naval hero, as the creator of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, or as Her Majesty’s loyal consort; his legacy is felt by millions at home, across the Commonwealth, and around the world."  

British High Commissioner Robert Chatterton Dickson on Tuesday said the UK is committed to working with Bangladesh to create a trade and investment relationship that will help both economies grow.

British High Commissioner in Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson paid a courtesy visit to Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) to discuss various bilateral issues relating to trade and commerce.

The United Kingdom has said they look forward to strengthening bonds of kinship and culture during the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh's independence.