British minister Desmond Swayne due today

UK Minister of State for Department of International Development Desmond Swayne will arrive in the capital today on a three-day visit to evaluate the contribution of UK's support to reducing poverty in the country.

Swayne will visit UK-funded projects in Dhaka and outside the capital and is expected to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, opposition party leader Raushan Ershad, ministers and senior government officials. This will be his first visit to Bangladesh.

Swayne currently leads a number of areas within the Department for International Development (DFID), including Asia, Overseas Territories and Western Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East and North Africa Conflict.