Staff Reporter:
British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke paid a courtesy call on Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed at the latter’s ministry office on Thursday.
The meeting, held in a cordial atmosphere, discussed various issues of mutual interest, including law and order, security cooperation between the two countries, and the Rohingya issue.
Referring to the existing deep and friendly relations between Bangladesh and the United Kingdom, the minister said the UK is a close ally and one of Bangladesh’s key development partners.
He expressed hope that the bilateral relationship between the two countries would be further strengthened in the near future.
The High Commissioner said the second Bangladesh-UK Joint Working Group meeting will be held in London on 7 and 8 July 2026, where two agreements are expected to be signed.
She expressed hope that the meeting would be highly productive.
The minister reiterated Bangladesh’s commitment to the regular repatriation of Bangladeshi nationals from the UK under the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) signed in 2024 and said the proposal contained in the “UK Letter” sent by the British side is being examined positively.
During the meeting, Bangladesh sought the UK’s cooperation in preventing migration-related crimes, implementing the Police Referral Programme, identifying illegally trafficked money and assets, and facilitating their recovery.
The minister also expressed sincere thanks to the UK for its humanitarian assistance in addressing the Rohingya crisis.
Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Manzur Morshed Chowdhury, Additional Secretary (Political Division) Dr Ziauddin Ahmed, Joint Secretary of Political-2 Wing Mohammad Abdul Quader, Deputy Secretary of Political-1 Wing Minara Nazmin, among others, were present at the meeting.
