A trade delegation of nine UK rail companies, led by Bangladesh-origin British lawmaker Rushanara Ali, began a week-long tour to Bangladesh on Sunday.
Rushanara Ali is also a Trade Envoy of UK Prime Minister for Bangladesh.
They are here to showcase UK’s expertise in the rail sector and underscore the importance the UK attaches to its trade and investment partnership with Bangladesh, reports UNB.
On arrival in Dhaka, Rushanara Ali said Britain is keen to expand trade with Bangladesh, offering world-class expertise and technology that will help the country move closer to its middle income aspiration.
"I'm delighted to be back in Bangladesh and I'm very much looking forward to working to strengthen and deepen our trading relationships," she said.
Ali also announced that UK export finance support available for UK trade with Bangladesh has increased from £ 150 million to £625 million, an increase of over 400 per cent.
Expressing optimism about the second visit of the UK Trade Envoy, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Alison Blake, said, “The mission is a demonstration of UK companies’ willingness to learn more about the opportunities in Bangladesh and seek partnerships for the benefit of both our countries."
Among her engagements in Dhaka, Ali will visit the Dhaka Metro rail site and attend a special British-Bangladesh rail collaboration seminar.
She will also meet the Bangladesh Ministers of Commerce, Communication, Railways and Finance and State Minister for Foreign Affairs to discuss future trade possibilities.
Rushanara will also travel to Sylhet, the district her family comes from, to visit actual and potential areas of British investment.
She will also see firsthand some of the UKAID-supported programmes to help Bangladesh’s development.
Ali will conclude her official visit to Bangladesh on September 21.
The cross-party trade envoy programme was established in 2012 to build bilateral trade relationships and help drive economic growth in countries identified as key markets for the UK.
They are unpaid positions. There are currently 24 Members of Parliament and Peers from across the political spectrum working as trade envoys covering over 50 different markets.