The British All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Bangladesh has held a series of high-level meetings with political and civil society leaders during its visit to Bangladesh this week.
The delegation began its engagements on Tuesday with a meeting with British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke. It subsequently met Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal MP at the Bangladesh Parliament and held meetings at ministerial offices with Minister Humaiun Kobir, Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury MP and Adviser Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir.
On Wednesday, the delegation visited United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) sites in Cox’s Bazar and paid a courtesy call to the offices of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) to gain first-hand insight into the humanitarian and refugee crisis affecting more than 1 million Rohingya in Bangladesh.
On Thursday, the delegation met President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at Bangabhaban. Discussions covered women's representation in Parliament, the July Charter and constitutional change, political party reform, training and development for parliamentarians, and truth and reconciliation processes for historical rights abuses.
The delegation also met Minister for Cultural Affairs Nitin Roy Chowdhury MP and Nipun Roy Chowdhury MP at the minister's offices.
Further meetings have been held with opposition leaders and civil society figures.
The delegation also visited the offices of BRAC and the BRAC Institute for Governance and Development, as well as the Drik Picture Library. At Drik, it convened a meeting with leading representatives of Bangladeshi civil society organizations, focusing primarily on women's, minority and indigenous rights.
The delegation's visit will continue with further engagements over the coming days.
The delegation is supported by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK (CPA UK).
