Dhaka has proposed to form a formal engagement platform with London to discuss bilateral issues including illegal migration, organised crime, countering terrorism and improving aviation security.
“Bangladesh has proposed to have partnership dialogue with Britain so that all bilateral issues can be discussed,” said a government official.
The proposal was put forward during a meeting between UK’s Immigration Minister James Brokenshire and Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque on Sunday.
Brokenshire came to Dhaka on a two-day visit on Sunday and had technical meeting with the foreign secretary and courtesy call on meetings with Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Home Minister asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and Law Minister Anisul Huq.
An official who was present at the meeting between the UK minister and the secretary said both countries had diplomatic relations for over four decades but did not any have formal arrangements to discuss bilateral issues.
“We told them that we have such formal arrangement with US, India and about 15 other countries and in those annual consultations, we discussed about problems and how to move forward,” he said.
The British side initially expressed their happiness over the proposal and informed the Bangladesh side that they would give feedback later, he added.
Another official who was present during various meetings of the British minister said Dhaka raised questions about dubious financing activities of different non-government organisations fund from London.
The British minister informed the Bangladesh side that he would look into the issue, he said.
He said that the Bangladesh side was curious to know why so many British nationals expressed their sympathy towards Daesh [Islamic State] and travelling to Syria to join the heinous group.
“In response, Brokenshire said inequality is the prime reason,” the official said.
The British minister also shared and discussed their anti-terrorism strategic paper with the government, he added.
British Foreign Minister Philip Hammond last month said about 800 British nationals went to Syria to join Daesh and about 600 were apprehended while joining the group. Out of them, 30 were Bangladeshi-origin British.
Brokenshire had also discussed about irregular Bangladeshis living in the United Kingdom with the policymakers in Dhaka.
