Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's maiden bilateral meeting with her UK counterpart Rishi Sunak is a sign of a warm relationship developing between the two countries, experts say.
Sheikh Hasina held the bilateral meeting with Rishi Sunak at the bilateral meeting room of the Marlborough House of the Commonwealth Secretariat at London Pall Mall on Friday afternoon.
This was the first meeting of the two leaders since Sunak assumed his office on October 25, last year.
The coronation ceremony of King Charles III was attended by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the heads of governments of 130 countries.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak held bilateral meetings with seven people including Sheikh Hasina.
The informal bilateral meeting with Sheikh Hasina revealed the warmth of the relationship between the two leaders.
In the meeting, Rishi Sunak said that Sheikh Hasina is an inspiration for him and his family.
After the meeting between the two top leaders, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverley and his wife Susannah Sparks and former UK prime minister Tony Blair went to meet Sheikh Hasina at her hotel.
Experts see this warmth and mutual respect between the top leadership of the United Kingdom as very positive for the development of relations between the two countries.
Md Shahidul Haque, former foreign secretary and Bangabandhu chair at Delhi University, said: "Sincerity in leadership plays a very important role in diplomacy. Many difficult problems can also be solved if the relationship between leaders is built on the basis of warmth and mutual respect.”
Mentioning that a 35-minute-long meeting is considered very lengthy for an informal meeting, Shahidul Haque said: "This meeting has been very good. Otherwise, this meeting would not have lasted so long. It can be assumed that bilateral relations have also been discussed here.”
Expressing a similar attitude, the former ambassador of Bangladesh in the UK, Md Abdul Hannan, said: "This is a very strong and positive message. Their interest in Bangladesh's success is increasing – this is a proof of that.”
Drawing attention to the importance of the meeting, he said: “Successful transition from the list of least developed countries under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is a recognition of Bangladesh's progress towards becoming a middle-income country - this meeting is a recognition of their greater interest and a clear interest in building an effective partnership with Bangladesh.”
Rishi Sunak met with the leaders of seven countries out of 130 and this shows the level of their interest, he said.
Budding relation
A warm relationship between the top leadership can take the relationship between the two countries to a different level.
In this context, Md Shahidul Haque said: "We have a historical relationship with the UK. They played a very constructive role in 1971 as well. They also help us in the multilateral system.”
Regarding the talks between the two prime ministers, he said: "It will add a new dimension and through this, it may be possible to take the relationship between the two countries to a strategic level."
Ambassador Hannan believes that the UK's relationship with Bangladesh is moving towards multi-dimensionality and betterment.
He felt that the foreign ministries of the two countries should take very effective steps in this regard and take an active role to increase the dynamics of the development of relations.
