The United Kingdom (UK) is focusing more on Bangladesh and its economy as it moves on to become a middle-income country soon and aspires to be a developed one by 2041, said British High Commissioner Alison Blake.
“We want to be part of your journey. We think we have a lot to offer each other,” Blake said while speaking to journalists on Wednesday.
She hosted the event for the media at the British High Commission to introduce two of her new colleagues – Deputy High Commissioner Kanbar Hossein-Bor and Head of Press and Communications Nisar Hussain.
The UK being the second biggest foreign investor in Bangladesh, is one of the largest development partners of Bangladesh.
Over 240 UK companies are operating in different sectors including retail, banking, energy, infrastructure, consultancy and education with leading centres of operation in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet.
The UK is also the third single largest export destination for Bangladesh. About half a million Bangladeshi expatriates live in the UK.
A number of UK ministers, including Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, recently visited Bangladesh after the Rohingya crisis.
According to Blake, the foreign secretary visited Bangladesh for two reasons – to see the plight of Rohingya refugees and as part of the UK’s focus on Bangladesh.
She said the UK is reconsidering its global attention and “concentrating more on countries like Bangladesh which are middle-income developing country aspiring to be a developed nation in 20 years.”
Blake recently lifted the ban on direct cargo flights means both UK and Bangladesh can work together to solve difficult task, reports bdnews24.
After the suspension, one British company was hired to improve the security condition.
Blake added that Bangladesh had “genuinely transformed” the security arrangement in the airport.