UK looks forward to strengthening relations with Bangladesh: High Commissioner

Britain is looking forward to strengthening relations between the UK and Bangladesh, British High Commissioner Robert Chatterton Dickson said on the 50th anniversary of the two country's diplomatic relationship on Friday (4 February).

"On this day, 50 years ago, the UK and Bangladesh established our diplomatic relationship. On behalf of the UK, I congratulate the people and the government of Bangladesh on this historic anniversary of a new era of Brit Bangla Bondhon," High Commissioner Robert Chatterton Dickson said in a press statement. 

 "As British High commissioner in Bangladesh, I am proud that the UK played such a key role in Bangladesh's founding story. Before Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman set foot in his liberated homeland, his historic trip to the UK in January 1972 and his meeting with UK PM Edward Heath forged a new friendship and accelerated the recognition of Bangladesh as an independent nation. This historic moment encouraged Commonwealth countries to recognise Bangladesh,"he added. 

High Commissioner Robert Chatterton Dickson also recalled Queen Elizabeth II's humanitarian relief contributions to a rising Bangladesh before, during and after the liberation war.

"With the establishment of a British High Commission in Dhaka, the then UK Foreign Secretary Sir Alec Douglas-Home visited Bangladesh in 1972. Since then, the UK has been a committed partner of this country in research, health services and community development, disaster risk reduction, poverty alleviation, improving education, increasing life expectancy for women and children, and womens' empowerment. And all this has helped the country's remarkable progress over the last 50 years,"Robert Chatterton Dickson said. 

The UK high commissioner to Bangladesh added that Britainhelped with capacity building for the country's military staff, police, and government officials.

"Many Bangladeshis made the UK their home, and after five decades, with around 600,000 people of Bangladeshi origin living in the UK, the relationship between the British and Bangladeshi peoples is deeper and stronger than ever," he remarked. 

 "Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II came to Bangladesh in 1983, when she travelled by train to visit a model village 35 miles south of Dhaka. Since that event, several Royal family members including HRH The Prince of Wales, HRH The Princess Royal, and Prime Ministers including John Major, Tony Blair and David Cameron have visited Bangladesh to witness a rising country. Through this time, the relationship has deepened,"he said. 

Bangladesh has moved forward, a role model of positive transformation while continuing to grapple with political and governance challenges as a vibrant, independent nation, High Commissioner Robert Chatterton Dickson added. 

Robert Chatterton Dickson also said that he is happy to reflect on Bangladesh's transformation from "one of the world's poorest countries" into "one of the world's fastest-growing economies" and the UK's part in that story.

"Today, the world looks with admiration at what Bangladesh has achieved in its first half century: an RMG powerhouse; a leading contributor to peace and security, especially as a provider of troops to UN peacekeeping missions, and one of the most influential global voices on climate change, as we have just seen at COP26 in Glasgow. The UK is proud to be a friend of Bangladesh through all this," he said.  

"Modern links between the UK and Bangladesh include trade and investment, the British Bangladeshi contribution to the UK National Health Service, education, development, defence, culture, cricket and curry! We share a mutual vision of a modern 21^st century partnership bound by strong historical ties," Robert Chatterton Dickson further added. 

 He concluded his statement by adding that Britain looks forward to strengthening the "bonds of kinship and culture through the dynamism of our strong people to people links, for the next 50 years and beyond."