British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke congratulated Adviser for Foreign Affairs Mr. Md. Touhid Hossain on his new appointment and conveyed strong support of the British Government to the Interim Government of Bangladesh, during the courtesy call today at the latter’s office. The Adviser deeply mourned the tragic loss of young lives during the recent students-led mass uprising in Bangladesh and expressed firm optimism over youth’s leadership that will take Bangladesh to a new height.
Noting the friendship and partnership between the two Commonwealth nations as long-standing and deep-rooted and acknowledging the strong people-to-people ties cemented through a large British-Bangladeshi diaspora, both sides assured of reciprocal steadfast commitment to further strengthening Bangladesh-UK bilateral relations. The Adviser underlined the top priorities of the Interim Government, including restoring normalcy in the law-and-order situation, reforming the governance system and economy and ensuring human rights in all its dimensions, for a smooth transition to inclusive and pluralistic electoral democracy. The British High Commissioner expressed readiness to share British expertise and knowledge in the reform of financial sector of Bangladesh.
As the British High Commissioner referred to the UK’s continued humanitarian and political support to the Rohingyas, the Adviser mentioned their repatriation as the only solution to the crisis and stressed the need for creating conducive environment in Myanmar for the Rohingyas’ repatriation with safety, dignity and rights.
Both sides further exchanged views on collaboration in education, skills development, and migration.