JS to function rightly with opposition parties
Hopes outgoing British envoy
British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Stephen Evans receives a replica of a rickshaw from Sylhet City Corporation Mayor Badar Uddin Kamran at his reception function at a hotel in Sylhet city on Sunday evening. Photo: STAR
British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Stephen Evans said the British government is committed to strengthening international borders through collaboration and cooperation with its global partners. The envoy made the remark at the launching of an anti-fraud instrument set at Osmani International Airport in Sylhet yesterday afternoon. The UK government donated the forgery detection equipment to help detect passport and visa forgery. The modern equipment has been set in the pretext of starting direct international flight operation, including the UK destinations to and from Sylhet by now, said the high commissioner. Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP) Commissioner AB Barua also addressed the event. Earlier, the high commissioner talked to some journalists at the regional liaison office of the British high commission in Sylhet. Stephen Evans said, "Although Bangladesh had a free and fair election in the 2008 parliamentary polls, we are yet to have the parliament functioning rightly. The opposition is joining very limited activities of the parliament." He added that parliament is a right place to criticise the government policy and other issues. He hopes that parliament will be functioning in the presence of opposition parties. The UK will increase its development assistance to Bangladesh from this year against the last year's 150 million pounds. A total of one billion pounds will be given in four years for programmes on poverty alleviation, capacity building of governance, schooling, women's empowerment and maternal health improvement, he added. Bangladesh strategy for facing challenges of climate change is also working rightly, he added. Almost there is no possibility of religious fundamental groups' uprising in Bangladesh since most of its people are liberal and peace loving, he added. He said he joined the high commission in June 2008 and will leave Bangladesh in the middle of this month after completion of his tenure. Meanwhile, the outgoing high commissioner attended a reception organised by Sylhet City Corporation at a hotel in the city on Sunday evening. He said Bangladesh has achieved remarkable progress in different fields during the last 3 years. Sylhet City Mayor Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran also spoke while lawmakers Syeda Zebunnesa Haque and Shofiqure Rahman Chowdhury, District AL General Secretary Iftekhar Hossain Shamim and ward councillors were present.
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