Dhaka, London keen to deepen coop on trade

British High Commissioner Sarah Cooke has said the United Kingdom and Bangladesh are set to further strengthen their bilateral relationship following her meeting with Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday.

Speaking to reporters after the talks, Cooke said the discussion followed her “excellent meeting” with the Foreign Minister late last week, where both sides reviewed ways to expand cooperation in key areas including economic growth, trade, investment, and migration.

She noted that both countries also held detailed discussions on continued collaboration regarding the Rohingya refugee situation, describing it as an important shared priority requiring sustained international attention.

Cooke said the meeting was productive and forward-looking, with both sides agreeing that there is significant scope to take the partnership further.

She added that follow-up work would continue in the coming weeks to translate the discussions into concrete steps. Later Foreign Ministry in a statement said that both sides noted with satisfaction the deep historical ties, strong people-to-people connections, and the vibrant British-Bangladeshi diaspora, which continues to serve as a vital bridge between the two countries.

They discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including trade and investment, education, migration and skills development.

The Foreign Minister appreciated the United Kingdom’s continued support for the Rohingyas and urged the UK to maintain its leadership role in international efforts aimed at ensuring the safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable repatriation of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas to Myanmar.

The meeting concluded with both sides expressing satisfaction at the growing momentum in Bangladesh-United Kingdom relations and reaffirming their commitment to closer cooperation on bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest.