UK PM Boris Johnson may visit this year

Bangladesh is expecting visits by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and several other VVIPs to Bangladesh this year on the occasion of the country's 50 years of independence and of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to UK Saida Muna Tasneem and British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Permanent Under-Secretary Sir Philip Barton KCMG OBE discussed the possible visits, said a statement of the Bangladesh High Commission yesterday. 

They also discussed joint events and dialogues on trade and investment, climate partnership, British Bangladeshi diaspora, and joint exercise between the two armed forces.

"We hope Prime Minister Boris Johnson will visit Bangladesh soon on the occasion of 50 years of Bangladesh-UK diplomatic relations," she said during the bilateral meeting on Friday held to mark February 4, the day the UK officially recognised Bangladesh in 1972.

Saida Muna Tasneem said Bangladesh and the UK enjoy a special friendship which has only grown from strength to strength bilaterally and multilaterally since the hoisting of the flag of independent Bangladesh in August 1971 at the first Bangladesh diplomatic mission in London at 24 Pembridge Gardens.

UK Prime Minister Edward Heath also accorded a warm reception to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on January 8, 1972, she said. 

She recalled Boris Johnson's visit to Bangladesh in 2018 when he spoke strongly on the atrocities committed by the Myanmar military against the Rohingya. The UK is also playing a pen holding role on the issue at the UN Security Council.

In response, Sir Philip said they would be delighted to join celebrations of 50 years of the UK's historic relations with Bangladesh, including longstanding economic and development partnership, climate co-operation, and the vibrant Bangladeshi diaspora.

He reaffirmed UK's commitments to continue to support Bangladesh on the Rohingya issue.

Sir Philip and Bangladesh High Commissioner Tasneem also discussed the possible dates of the 4th Bangladesh-UK Strategic Dialogue in London, which is expected to incorporate FCDO's new mandate on development partnership as well as trade, investment, and defence cooperation.

High Commissioner Tasneem briefed the UK official about the successes of Bangladesh in containing the Covid-19 pandemic and stimulus packages, as well as the rapid vaccine rollout programme.

Sir Philip was pleased to hear that Bangladesh has already procured 30 million doses of the Oxford vaccine and initiated vaccination from January 27, 2021, the statement said.