UK businesses finding more prospects for trade, investment in Bangladesh: envoy

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UK companies are finding more prospects for trade and investment in Bangladesh that's progressing coming to becoming a middle-income country within the next year or two, UK High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Robert Chatterton Dickson, has said.

"We are seeing a lot of interest of British businesses and government in building trade and development relationship as Bangladesh continues to attain the middle-income country status. I believe it is a very exciting time in our relationship," he said at a webinar organised by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Bangladesh (DCAB) today.

Presently, the bilateral trade between Bangladesh and UK is four billion pounds, which he said is quite encouraging.

Recently, Chatterton said, UK's export credit agency -- UK Export Finance (UKEF) -- has tripled its capacity for Bangladesh to £2.5 billion ($3.2 billion).

"I think this can make it easier for UK companies to market top quality goods and services into Bangladesh. We are which makes it easier for Bangladeshi companies to use British expertise in projects," he said.

UK will continue its concessionary measures for Bangladesh regarding trade, he added.

Simultaneously, UK has also invested a lot more than 250 million pounds in Bangladesh over the last ten years. Apart from trade, UK will also remain a major development partner in the coming years, he said.

Some 600,000 Bangladeshi diaspora in the united kingdom is an important connect to Bangladesh, he said. Apart from trade, UK and Bangladesh will work together on global issues having implications on Bangladesh. Those include Covid-19 vaccines, Rohingya refugees and climate change.

UK will help ensure that Bangladesh has usage of the vaccine applicant of the Oxford University.

Asked if Oxford will conduct stage III trial of the vaccine candidate in Bangladesh, he said no matter if it is conducted in Bangladesh or not, nonetheless it will be made available here.

UK is also dealing with Bangladesh to develop a cold chain framework that will be essential for distribution of the vaccine in every corner of the united states.

The UK diplomat said it really is strongly supporting the accountability mechanism of the Rohingyas against Myanmar that is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. Also, the International Criminal Court can be investigating crimes against the Rohingyas.

It's clear that the Rohingya population will maintain Bangladesh for quite a while however the members of international community are putting pressure on Myanmar government and people. Myanmar government will continue to face sanctions applied to it by other governments, he said.

"We, as pen-holder at the UN Security Council, will continue steadily to make sure that Myanmar and Rohingya are on the agenda of the Security Council."

Chatterton also said UK is playing a respected role on climate change, a long-term global challenge. As a chair of the Conference of the Parties (COP) in 2021, UK is working very closely with Bangladesh, the chair of Climate Vulnerable Forum.

Bangladesh has recently set example by taking adaptation measures and these examples should be showcased globally, he said.

DCAB President Angur Nahar Monty and UK High Commission Senior Press Officer Meher Jerin moderated the webinar. 
Source: https://www.thedailystar.net

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