News Flash
DHAKA, March 3, 2026 (BSS) – The British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke today committed to relay the competency of Bangladesh’s candidate to her headquarters and assured that the United Kingdom would give due consideration to Dhaka’s candidature for the UN General Assembly presidency.
The commitment was made when the British High Commissioner to Bangladesh paid a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman at the foreign ministry, said a ministry’s press release here.
During the meeting, the Foreign Minister appreciated the UK for sending Seema Malhotra, Minister for the Indo-Pacific, to attend the oath-taking ceremony of the new government.
Both sides expressed satisfaction over the deep historical ties, strong people-to-people connections and the vibrant Bangladeshi diaspora in the United Kingdom, which continues to act as a vital bridge between the two nations.
The two leaders discussed exploring new avenues of collaboration, particularly in education, migration, security cooperation, Rohingya repatriation and strengthening broader bilateral engagement.
The Foreign Minister urged the UK to continue its leadership role at the United Nations Security Council and other international fora to facilitate the speedy repatriation of the Rohingyas to Myanmar.
He also sought London’s support for Bangladesh’s candidature for the Presidency of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly for the term 2026–2027.
The High Commissioner assured that she would convey the Bangladeshi candidate’s credentials to the UK headquarters and that due consideration would be given to the candidature.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cooke said, “I've just come from a very good meeting with the honorable foreign minister. I congratulated the honorable minister on taking up his new role here in the ministry of foreign affairs.”
“We had a very good discussion where we reaffirmed the strength and depth of the uh UK Bangladesh partnership,” she added.
She said the discussions covered a broad range of shared priorities.
“We discussed strengthening cooperation across a whole range of different areas in support of our shared priorities including economic growth, migration, security, climate change, change and also the Rohingya,” she said.
Referring to the longstanding ties, Cooke added, “As you know, the UK has a very long-standing partnership with Bangladesh and we very much look forward to continuing to work closely together in this new chapter for the country”.
Earlier in the day, the High Commissioner also called on State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam and discussed enhancing cooperation in skills development, migration, healthcare, education, trade and investment.
Both sides expressed optimism about the future trajectory of Bangladesh–United Kingdom relations and reaffirmed their commitment to closer collaboration on bilateral, regional and global issues of shared interest.
