Dhaka seeks UK's support in reform initiatives

Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain today sought support of the United Kingdom (UK) for the reform initiatives of the Bangladesh interim government reflecting the aspirations of the people, particularly the nation's youth. He made the call while holding a meeting with the visiting UK Minister Catherine West, MP, at the Foreign Ministry here. 

The meeting featured discussions on major bilateral issues, ranging from the priorities of British and Bangladesh governments. During the meeting, the adviser thanked the UK government for its continued support to Bangladesh's interim government, acknowledging the Britain's role in ensuring political stability and democratic progress.

He also raised concerns over the illicit flow of Bangladesh's stolen wealth abroad, urging greater efforts to address the issue of asset recovery.  He called for stronger cooperation with the UK to trace and return these assets to Bangladesh, a matter that remains high on the interim government's agenda. 

In reply, Minister Catherine, who is the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Indo-Pacific of the UK, assured the Foreign Adviser of all possible cooperation in this regard. Adviser Hossain sought the international community's support for the Rohingyas and said the only solution to this crisis lies in the safe and sustainable return of the displaced people to their homeland in Myanmar. 

With regard to the Point-based Immigration System, the Foreign Adviser called for the arrangement of mutual recognition of qualifications.  Catherine West conveyed the warm greetings of British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy. 

She reaffirmed the UK's commitment to strengthening ties with Bangladesh and underscored the UK Government's priorities on different areas, including migration, maritime cooperation and cyber security. Catharine also reiterated the UK's strong position to resolve the Rohingya crisis and stressed on the importance of continued humanitarian assistance to the displaced community. 

Both sides committed to carry forward the robust cooperation and further strengthen the bilateral relationship between Bangladesh and the UK.  Catherine becomes the first UK minister to visit Bangladesh since the formation of the interim government. "We know that the interim government in Bangladesh has committed to restore peace and order, ensuring accountability and promoting national reconciliation, and it has the full support of the UK government in these objectives," she told the reporters after the meeting. 

The UK minister, who arrived here on Saturday for a two-day visit, said the people of Bangladesh deserve a pathway to a "peaceful future and accountability" after a turbulent few months. Catherine said that she welcomed the interim government's determination to build a better democratic future for the people of Bangladesh.

"As we have a very strong, steadfast friendship with the people of Bangladesh, we want to build the strong partnerships and build on that important building block of the strong ties and also with moving towards that democratic future from economics and trade to security, migration and climate change," she said. "There's so much that we do together that we must continue to work on," she added.