UK minister: Bangladesh a success story in Asia

A British minister has said Bangladesh is one of the great success stories of development in Asia, as it shows how well aid can help transform a country. "Bangladesh has made fantastic improvements to education with support from the UK," said UK Minister of State at the Department for International Development (DFID) Lord Michael Walton Bates at the conclusion of his three-day visit to the country on Thursday. Lord Bates, who arrived on Monday, said he was extremely pleased to be in Bangladesh on his first visit as the DFID minister. “Having seen the improvements to education firsthand over the last few days, visiting schools, meeting with government ministers and talking to teachers and pupils, it is clear that UK aid is making a positive difference to the lives of many Bangladeshis,” the minister said in a statement, reports UNB. “Bangladesh continues to face challenges and I look forward to working together on this shared agenda in the coming years,” said Lord Bates. During his stay, Lord Bates visited UK-supported projects in Dhaka and Savar, including two government-run primary schools and a Brac-run preprimary school, to see firsthand the programmes were making a difference to people's lives. He also visited a teacher resource centre, where he met headteachers undertaking leadership training. In addition, Lord Bates met Finance Minister AMA Muhith and the acting secretary and the senior team at the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education. A discussion on primary education was held at the DFID office with representatives from relevant government ministries, donors and NGOs. The minister also met UN and NGO partners to discuss humanitarian issues, including disaster preparedness and response in Bangladesh as well as the Rohingya refugee issue. The UK invests heavily in Bangladesh's development, having allocated £158m in 2016-17.