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President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has called for increased UK cooperation in Bangladesh’s education, human resource development and technology sectors, as well as stronger trade and investment ties between the two countries.
He made the remarks when British High Commissioner Sarah Cook paid a courtesy call on him at Bangabhaban on Monday (September 14).
The president described the UK as a “trusted and tested development partner” of Bangladesh and praised the contribution of Bangladeshi expatriates in strengthening ties between the two countries.
During the meeting, Cook handed over a congratulatory letter from King Charles III to Fakhrul on his election as president. The president expressed his gratitude to the king and asked the high commissioner to convey his best wishes to him.
Fakhrul called for greater UK support to expand opportunities for Bangladeshi students to pursue higher education in Britain, increase Commonwealth scholarships, develop human resources and strengthen the capacity of education and technology-related institutions.
He also stressed the need to strengthen democratic institutions and the capacity of elected representatives, saying Bangladesh had returned to the democratic path through a free, fair and peaceful election.
Referring to the UK’s long experience with the Westminster system of democracy, the president emphasised regular contact, mutual visits and exchanges of experience between lawmakers of the two countries.
Cook said nearly all Bangladeshi products, including readymade garments, would continue to enjoy duty-free access to the UK market for three years after Bangladesh’s graduation from the least developed country (LDC) category.
The president described the facility as an important opportunity to further expand bilateral trade.
The high commissioner also briefed Fakhrul on an initiative to exchange digital climate data between Bangladesh and the UK. The president welcomed the initiative, saying the exchange of weather and climate data could improve forecasting and contribute to higher agricultural productivity.
Senior officials from the president’s office, the Foreign Ministry and the British High Commission attended the meeting.