Tag: Bangladesh

Holyrood’s CPG on Bangladesh calls for educational collaboration

The Scottish Parliament’s Cross-Party Group (CPG) on Bangladesh has called for action to promote educational links between Scotland and Bangladesh.

The CPG met on Wednesday 19th June 2024 and received updates from Convener Foysol Choudhury MSP and Deputy Convener Miles Briggs MSP, H.E. Saida Muna Tasneem, High Commissioner of Bangladesh to the UK, Peter Brown, Director of British Council Scotland, Dr Ibrahim Rashid, PhD Fellow from Stirling University and members of the Scottish Bangladeshi diaspora.

The High Commissioner was also joined by Mohammad Hazrat Ali Khan, Deputy High Commissioner, Tanvir Mohammad Azim, Commercial Counsellor, Wing Commander Md Saifur Rahman, Assistant Defence Adviser and Moumita Zeenat, Counsellor (Political).

The CPG meeting focused on education and followed on from a CPG visit to Dhaka last November 2023, where the CPG met with H.E. Sheikh Hasina and the Foreign Minister Dr A.K. Abdul Momen to discuss the importance of generating shared links between education institutions in Bangladesh and Scotland.

MSP Choudhury and MSP Briggs updated the CPG on Wednesday night on how they have already met with Scottish Universities to start the conversation and discuss how to move forward with opportunities for education and research collaboration, specifically around agriculture, climate change and fishing.

MSP Choudhury said: “The CPG is all about building the relationship between Scotland and Bangladesh in areas of shared importance.

“There is a definite need to bridge a gap and reinforce educational collaboration with Scottish and Bangladeshi universities, such as via creating Scottish University campuses in Dhaka and beyond.

“We have already written to H.E. Sheikh Hasina, had discussions with High Commissioner, Saida Muna Tasneem, contacted Universities Scotland’s Connected Scotland Partnership and the British Council.

“It was fantastic to hear the update from the High Commissioner and British Council at the CPG meeting this week to hear their commitment to building educational links and opportunities between Scotland and Bangladesh-as well as from some students to learn why educational collaboration is so beneficial!

“We look forward to continuing this collaboration between Scotland and Bangladesh on education and other areas such as climate change, and seeing our global partnership go from strength to strength.”

The CPG also got an update on many more areas of development between Scotland and Bangladesh, including cultural endeavours via the Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

The Scottish Parliament CPG on Bangladesh says it will continue to build these links and shared endeavours between Scotland and Bangladesh, exploring matters on the world stage and also for the domestic Bangladeshi diaspora in Scotland.

Cross-Party Group Bangladesh at the Scottish Parliament

CPG Bangladesh 

Speaking after the AGM and second Cross-Party Group meeting on Bangladesh held on 30th November 2022 at the Scottish Parliament, Foysol Choudhury MSP said: “It was great to host the Cross-Party Group on Bangladesh meeting for the first time in person at the Scottish Parliament.

” I was pleased that it received cross-party support from my colleagues Miles Briggs MSP, Sarah Boyack MSP and Kaukab Stewart MSP.

“Saida Muna Tasneem, the High Commissioner of Bangladesh, also joined us from London and spoke of the great bilateral relations between our nations and of her visit to Scotland last year during COP26, when H.E. Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, visited the Scottish Parliament.

“The Assistant High Commissioner, Kazi Ziaul Hasan, gave an excellent presentation on the current situation of Bangladesh regarding its economic growth, developing regional connectivity, increase in education enrolment,  climate change impacts on Bangladesh, the Rohingiya crisis and UK -Bangladesh trade relations. 

“The CPG was very well attended by local community organisations and professionals from the Bangladeshi community as well as politicians Cllr Nurul Hoque Ali of Aberdeen, Cllr Naz Anis Miah of Fife and Cllr Lynn Wardlaw of Dunfermline.

“During the meeting, we discussed at length climate justice and adaptation, with many attendees expressing their concerns on the progress made since COP26 in Glasgow and potential delays in loss and damage funding release.

“We also discussed improving the travel and tourism industry to make Bangladesh appeal to an international market and create better connectivity with the world to attract visitors.

“When I was first elected in May 2021 as the first Bangladeshi-born MSP, I knew that I wanted to establish and convene a CPG on Bangladesh with the aim of promoting and enhancing understanding between Scotland, the UK and Bangladesh. I have worked very closely in the past year with the High Commission of Bangladesh in the UK to strengthen ties with Scotland and Bangladesh.

“The purpose of the CPG on Bangladesh aims to promote and enhance understanding between Scotland and Bangladesh at cultural, social, academic, political and economic levels.

“It has a focus on trade and investment, tourism and education. It also gives the opportunity for community members and anyone interested in Bangladesh to meet with their policy-makers to raise concerns and ways we can collaborate together to further contribute to the development of Bangladesh and ensure that it becomes a climate-resilient nation.

“I look forward to advancing the mutual interests of Scotland and Bangladesh and to representing the interests of people and organisations with Bangladeshi backgrounds living and working in Scotland. I hope the CPG can act as a forum for the Community living in Scotland.”

UK donates 1 million more doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to Bangladesh

Bilateral vaccine donation will expand Bangladesh’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign and further strengthen Brit Bangla Bondhon between the UK and Bangladesh.

The UK bilaterally donated 1 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to Bangladesh. The vaccine consignment arrived in Bangladesh on 23 February 2022. This bilateral donation from the UK will reinforce Bangladesh’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic and the country’s economic recovery.

Prior to this, the UK donated over 4 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Bangladesh in December 2021 through COVAX facilities.

While welcoming the second consignment of vaccines donation from the UK, the British High Commissioner HE Robert Chatterton Dickson said: “We welcome the arrival of 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the UK to Bangladesh. This bilateral donation adds to the 4 million doses that the UK donated through COVAX last year.

“This support from the UK takes us one step ahead to defeat the pandemic and further strengthens our commitment to stand with the people of Bangladesh to recover faster and build a healthier and prosperous future.”

Complementing the vaccine donations, the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), through its delivery partners, created an enabling environment for the Government of Bangladesh to accelerate and expand the vaccination program as well as reduce the transmission of the infection especially among the low-income people.

This includes support for on-line vaccine registration for the disadvantaged, raising awareness, additional healthcare provider and technician support, training of health workers including vaccinators, and transporting vaccines to the districts as well as to the schools across the country.

Since the pandemic started, the UK government has reprioritised more than £55.9 million to fund Bangladesh’s National Preparedness and Response Plan to tackle COVID-19 including support for Rohingya refugees and the host communities.

The UK has been at the forefront of the global response to COVID-19. Last year at the G7, the UK committed to donate 100 million doses by June 2022. 80% of those UK doses will be distributed through the COVAX facility. Earlier, the UK kick-started efforts to establish COVAX facility in 2020, providing a total of £548 million to fund vaccines for lower income countries.

Sreepur Village charity event at Royston Wardieburn

A charity Christmas event took place at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre on 16th December to support the Sreepur Village in Bangladesh. The date is an important one as it is also Victory Day of Bangladesh, the national day celebrated by Bengali nations worldwide. Continue reading Sreepur Village charity event at Royston Wardieburn

UK funded vaccines save Rohingya children from deadly diphtheria outbreak

The UK has once again led the response to the Rohingya crisis in Bangladesh, by contributing to a vaccination programme which will protect more than 350,000 vulnerable Rohingya children from a deadly outbreak of diphtheria. Continue reading UK funded vaccines save Rohingya children from deadly diphtheria outbreak

UK medics race to Bangladesh to tackle deadly diphtheria outbreak

More than 40 British doctors, nurses and firefighters from the UK’s Emergency Medical Team (EMT) are making their way to Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh to save thousands of lives at risk from a rapid and deadly outbreak of diphtheria. Continue reading UK medics race to Bangladesh to tackle deadly diphtheria outbreak

Patel calls for end to violence in Burma as more aid is sent to support stricken Rohingyas

International Development Secretary Priti Patel has repeated calls for an end to the violence in Burma (Myanmar) which has forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes to seek safety in neighbouring Bangladesh. Recognising the ‘unprecedented scale’ of the crisis in Bangladesh and Burma, Britain is providing an additional £25 million to meet the urgent needs in both countries of those affected by the violence. Continue reading Patel calls for end to violence in Burma as more aid is sent to support stricken Rohingyas