Bangladesh, UK parliaments keen to strengthen ties

Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury and her British counterpart Sir Lindsay Hoyle have agreed to strengthen institutional collaboration between Bangladesh and the British parliaments specially on climate change, women empowerment, justice for the Rohingyas, and role of parliament across the Commonwealth.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the British Parliament since 2019, congratulated Bangladesh and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the climate leadership at the COP26 and being among the strongest voices to combat global warming and climate change.

They held a bilateral meeting at the Westminster 'Speaker's House' on Monday morning. Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem was present during the meeting.

While paying profound tribute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Dr Chaudhury informed the British Speaker that it was Bangabandhu's value-based friendship with the-then British politicians that would continue to remain a fundamental tenet and cornerstone of the robust and ever expanding Bangladesh-UK diplomatic relations of 2022 and beyond.

She proposed to form a 'Bangladesh-UK Parliamentary Friendship Group', marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries to work together for promoting shared values of democracy, peace, and progress inclusive societies, according to the Bangladesh High Commission in London.

The British Speaker expressed gratitude to Bangladesh for sheltering and protecting 1.1 million Rohingyas fleeing from Myanmar.

The Bangladesh Speaker called on the British Parliament to play a leading role in resolving the Rohingya crisis towards a sustained return.

Sir Hoyle recalled Bangladesh Speaker's successful tenure as the Chairman of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and praised her skilful leadership to promote women empowerment across the CPA.

The British Speaker praised the four British-Bangladeshi parliamentarians for their contribution to British society and acknowledged the entrepreneurship of the Bangladeshi diaspora in the UK.

Both the speakers emphasised the increased role of parliamentarians in different international forums, including the
Commonwealth.