Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the British State Minister for South Asia, the Commonwealth, and the United Nations, lauded Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina\’s leadership of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) in the run-up to the UNFCCC COP26, Glasgow in November 2021.
He said this during a virtual meeting with Md. Shahriar Alam, Bangladesh\’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs. During the conference, State Minister Md. Shahriar Alam shared his condolences on the death of HRH Prince Philip. Prince Philip was a Duke of Edinburgh, and consort of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.
Close Collaboration on Mutual Interest
Lord Ahmad was keen to learn about Bangladesh\’s COP26 goals, especially as the country\’s representative for climate-vulnerable countries. He emphasized the urgency of defending the Sundarbans, the world\’s largest mangrove forest, from climate change\’s negative effects.
Furthermore, Md. Shahriar Alam, Bangladesh\’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, briefed his British counterpart on US Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Change John Kerry\’s latest visit to Bangladesh. The two Ministers have addressed plans for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). The meeting will take place in Kigali, Rwanda, in June 2021.
Travelling Restrictions
Subsequently, The two State Ministers addressed the most recent international travel restrictions. Due to a new wave of coronavirus infections. This also included those caused by the South African strain. State Minister Alam urged the United Kingdom to exclude Bangladesh from the red list as soon as possible, citing credible facts.
Rohingya Crisis
Moreover, The two State Ministers discussed the Rohingya refugee crisis in Bangladesh. They spoke about the latest standoff over their voluntary return to Myanmar and partial resettlement to Bhashan Char. Lord Ahmad reassured his Bangladeshi counterpart that the United Kingdom will continue to help the Rohingya in their fight for a peaceful and dignified return to Myanmar.
Invitation to Bangladesh
Lord Ahmad was invited to visit Bangladesh during Mujib Year, which coincided with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and the United Kingdom.
Diplomatic Bond
Bangladesh gained independence from the United Kingdom on February 4, 1972. As a result, other European and Commonwealth countries eventually recognized Bangladesh, and Bangladesh was admitted to the Commonwealth on April 18, 1972. The UK has the world\’s second-largest Bangladeshi diaspora, with about 500,000 people, the majority of whom have links to the Sylhet region.
