Bangladesh will sign a standard operating procedure (SOP) with the UK to bring back citizens staying there illegally after the expiry of their visas.
The decision was taken at the fifth strategic dialogue between the countries at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka on Tuesday, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen told reporters after the meeting.
His British counterpart, Sir Philip Barton, permanent under-secretary at the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, in a short statement described the dialogue as "excellent,” and said the two countries were also looking forward to building a modern partnership ahead.
"We took stock of progress in our bilateral relationship, which is going from strength to strength and looked at the period ahead as we are going to build a modern partnership," he said.
The dialogue covered almost all aspects of bilateral relations, including political and diplomatic ties, trade and development partnerships, security issues, and the Rohingya crisis.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem said the signing of an SOP with the UK was needed after Brexit.
Asked why the SOP for the return of illegal citizens was necessary now, the high commissioner said: "We have such mechanisms with the European Union. Britain was also a member of the European Union. After Brexit, we did not sign any SOP with Britain. Now we are doing it."
Over 600,000 Bangladeshis are living in the UK, which is also a destination for students pursuing higher studies.
The foreign secretary said the two sides had agreed to form a joint working group on migration and mobility, which would also help increase the number of Bangladeshi students in the UK.
On defence cooperation, he said, Bangladesh was diversifying its sources for defence supplies. "The UK can be one of those markets."
The dialogue also discussed Bangladesh's upcoming general election.
The foreign secretary said the UK wanted a free, fair and violence-free election.
Meanwhile, the British high commission in a statement said later that the UK and Bangladesh welcomed the evolution of bilateral relations into a modern economic, trade and security partnership, which advanced shared global and regional priorities such as tackling climate change and the Rohingya refugee crisis.
The UK, as the second-largest cumulative investor in Bangladesh, welcomed the second Bangladesh-UK Trade and Investment Dialogue earlier this year and the aviation trade and investment partnership signed in May.
The two sides agreed to work together to increase mutual prosperity ahead of Bangladesh’s graduation from Least Developed Country status.
Bangladesh welcomed the UK’s generous Developing Countries Trading Scheme and acknowledged its role in integrating Bangladesh into the global economy, creating stronger trade and investment opportunities.
The UK and Bangladesh agreed to establish a joint working group on migration and returns, and other equities in the justice and home affairs space. Both countries also agreed to conclude the SOPs governing the returns' documentation processes and timescales prior to the first session of the working group by October.
Election, Rohingya crisis, climate change
In discussions on democracy and human rights, the British high commission said, the UK encouraged a free, fair, participatory and peaceful election so the people of Bangladesh could exercise their democratic rights. The UK also underlined the need to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The UK emphasized its commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, as evidenced by membership in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and Asean dialogue partner status, while Bangladesh highlighted its recently published Indo-Pacific outlook.
The UK and Bangladesh agreed to continue cooperation on global and regional security.
The two sides reflected on their strong defence cooperation and looked forward to the defence dialogue scheduled to take place in London next year.
The two countries discussed the negative economic impacts of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The UK was clear that Russia should immediately cease attacks on Ukraine’s port and grain infrastructure, which were driving up the price of essential goods in Bangladesh and around the world.
London stressed its unwavering support for the Ukrainian government and people in the face of the assault on their sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The UK also commended Bangladesh for continuing to accommodate over one million Rohingyas.
The two sides noted that this population placed a significant burden on Bangladesh, particularly for communities living adjacent to refugee camps.
The UK noted the need for improved livelihood provisions for the Rohingya to ensure a more sustainable return to Rakhine State. It announced a further £3m contribution to the Rohingya response, taking its total contribution since 2017 to £368m.
London and Dhaka reiterated their commitment to the goal of safe, voluntary and dignified returns to Myanmar as soon as the situation allowed.
Both countries expressed appreciation for the UK-Bangladesh climate partnership, launched in January 2020, which facilitated the exchange of expertise and whole-of-society engagement, and the UK-Bangladesh Climate Accord, which was signed in March.
The UK and Bangladesh will cooperate closely in the run-up to COP28. Both sides reiterated the urgent need for all countries to take ambitious action to combat climate change.
Philip Barton said: “I was delighted to attend the Fifth Bangladesh-UK Strategic Dialogue with Foreign Secretary Momen in Dhaka. The dialogue is a reflection of the growing relationship between our two countries, and our desire to work together more closely on our economic, trade and development partnerships, and on regional and global security issues.”
British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke said: “I was pleased to welcome Sir Philip Barton to Bangladesh. The UK’s partnership with Bangladesh represents a unique, historic relationship which contributes much to the prosperity and security of both our countries.”