Dhaka //

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has called for increased cooperation from the United Kingdom in Bangladesh’s education, human resource development, and technology sectors, as well as for the strengthening of trade and investment between the two nations. He made this call on Monday during a courtesy meeting with British High Commissioner Sarah Cooke at Bangabhaban. This information was conveyed in a press release signed by the President’s Press Secretary, Md. Sarwar Alam.

During the meeting, Sarah Cooke handed over a congratulatory letter from King Charles III of the United Kingdom to Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on his election as President. The President expressed sincere gratitude to King Charles III for the greetings and the congratulatory letter and requested the High Commissioner to convey his own greetings to the King in return.

He sought UK cooperation in expanding opportunities for Bangladeshi students to pursue higher education in the UK, increasing Commonwealth scholarships, developing human resources, and enhancing the capacity of institutions related to education and technology.

The President noted that expatriate Bangladeshis living in Britain are making significant contributions to strengthening the bonds and development between the two countries. Beyond bilateral relations, as a Commonwealth member state, Bangladesh works closely with the UK on issues of mutual interest and the development of Commonwealth nations.

The President further stated that Bangladesh has returned to the democratic path through a free, fair, and peaceful election. He emphasized the importance of strengthening democratic institutions and enhancing the capacity of public representatives to further consolidate this process.

The High Commissioner informed the President that approximately 99.99 percent of Bangladeshi products—including ready-made garments—would continue to enjoy duty-free, quota-free access to the UK market for three years following Bangladesh’s graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status. The President described this facility as a significant opportunity to further expand trade relations between the two countries.

The British High Commissioner also briefed the President on the initiative to exchange digital climate data between Bangladesh and the UK. The President expressed satisfaction, noting that this initiative—facilitating the exchange of weather and climate-related information—would play an effective role in improving the accuracy of weather forecasts and boosting agricultural production. Senior officials from the President’s Office—including the Secretary and Press Secretary—as well as the British Deputy High Commissioner and Development Director, representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and officials from relevant departments were present during the meeting.

On Monday, delegations from Khulna University and Islamic University paid separate courtesy calls on the President at Bangabhaban. During these meetings, the President urged the universities to further strengthen their policy-making and research activities to enhance the quality of higher education.

British High Commissioner’s Courtesy Call on Rizvi: British High Commissioner Sarah Cooke paid a courtesy call on Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, the Acting Secretary General of the BNP. The meeting took place on Monday afternoon at the BNP Chairperson’s office in the capital’s Gulshan area; the BNP’s media cell provided this information. During the meeting, the British High Commissioner exchanged greetings with the BNP Acting Secretary General, and a cordial discussion was held regarding various issues aimed at advancing the friendly relations between the two countries.

Also present at the meeting were Kate Ward (Assistant to the British High Commissioner), Kazi Nazrul Islam (PS to Ruhul Kabir Rizvi), and Jahedul Alam (APS to Ruhul Kabir Rizvi).

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