LDC graduation needs sustained support
# UK envoy urges stronger trade and international cooperation
# She says Israel’s Gaza actions are unjustified
Bangladesh’s upcoming graduation from the least developed country (LDC) category will require a sustained transition strategy, including stronger trade ties and deeper international cooperation, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke has said.
She said the UK was committed to supporting Bangladesh through the transition while strengthening the two countries’ evolving strategic partnership.
“As Bangladesh continues to prepare for graduation from Least Developed Country status, our focus is on supporting a transition which is both smooth and sustained,” Cooke said on Sunday.
Speaking at the Bay of Bengal Conversation, organised by the Centre for Governance Studies at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka, she said Bangladesh currently enjoys duty-free access to the UK market for 99.8 per cent of product lines under the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme.
The preferential access will continue for three years after Bangladesh’s LDC graduation, after which 92 per cent of product lines, including ready-made garments, will remain duty-free, she said.
Cooke’s remarks came as she also addressed the Middle East crisis, saying Israel’s military actions in Gaza and the West Bank could not be justified by Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October 2023.
“We condemn Hamas’ terrorist attack on October 7 and support Israel’s security. But this cannot justify Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank, where far too many people have died,” she said.
Cooke said the UK, together with international partners, had taken concrete measures to protect the two-state solution, including action against illegal Israeli settlements and renewed diplomatic efforts at the United Nations to advance what she described as a just and lasting peace.
She stressed the need to match diplomatic principles with practical action in addressing the conflict.
The British envoy said the UK was also working with partners to support de-escalation across the wider region. Recent tensions in the Gulf, she said, had underlined the importance of regional stability and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Evolving Bangladesh-UK ties
Turning to bilateral relations, Cooke said the Bangladesh-UK partnership had traditionally centred on development cooperation but had evolved into a modern strategic relationship reflecting Bangladesh’s growing international role.
She said the UK wanted to support Bangladesh’s economic transition while expanding cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
On the Rohingya crisis, Cooke said the UK, as the UN Security Council penholder on Myanmar, continued to push for international action and accountability.
She said the only sustainable solution was the voluntary, safe and dignified return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar when conditions permit.
Cooke also described Bangladesh as having “custodial responsibilities” in the Bay of Bengal, which she said was gaining increasing strategic importance.
She stressed the importance of maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific and said the UK was working with Bangladesh to unlock greater climate finance and develop high-integrity carbon markets that could channel investment into the country’s long-term resilience.
The three-day Bay of Bengal Conversation is being held in Dhaka, bringing together policymakers, diplomats, academics and other stakeholders to discuss regional and global issues.
