The United Kingdom (UK), beyond the current crisis over Covid-19 pandemic, sees huge potential in the Bangladesh-UK trade and economic relationships, especially in the high end goods services in which the UK excels.
"We'll continue to work together on a host of issues after the pandemic," British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson told UNB in an interview.
The High Commissioner is well aware that the Covid crisis has had a "very serious impact" on the Bangladesh economy, and particularly the garments sector.
He said the companies have had to make difficult decisions. "The Bangladeshi RMG sector has built very strong capability and a global reputation in recent decades. I hope these will enable it to recover quickly as the pandemic eases."
High Commissioner Dickson said the UK-based entrepreneurs are trying to help deal with the immediate crisis.
A good example is Lost Stock, who are allowing shoppers to buy a box of clothing directly from the manufacturers, with almost 40 percent (almost £13) of the proceeds of each box donated to Bangladesh through a non-profit organisation based here, he said adding that Lost Stock’s goal is to help 50,000 workers and their families by the end of the year.
Opportunities Ahead
The British High Commissioner said they are keen to diversify the supply chain for the UK National Health Service to make it more resilient in future and are exploring the potential of buying PPE from Bangladesh.
"There is already some UK sourcing of PPE from Bangladesh and we are working with industry to expand this quickly," he said.
Dickson said the capability and responsiveness which make Bangladeshi companies so competitive in RMG should help them expand their PPE business.
The virtual Global Vaccine Summit (being held on 4 June), hosted by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, shows UK leadership on a key aspect of tackling the pandemic, Dickson said.
UK investment in Bangladesh
The UK is the second largest investor in Bangladesh, and some of the biggest international investors including HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank and Unilever are based in the UK.
Responding to a question, the High Commissioner said the UK companies are very interested in the opportunities presented by Bangladesh’s track record of very strong growth.
"While the pandemic is undoubtedly having a short term impact, I expect a strong investment relationship to continue once the pandemic abates," Dickson said adding that further reform in the business environment would help to build on this momentum.
Opportunities for Youths
The British High Commissioner said the UK offers opportunities for young Bangladeshis to study in Britain, including through Commonwealth and Chevening scholarships for undergraduate and postgraduate study.
The Covid-19 pandemic means that admissions processes and modes of teaching will be different this year, but there are some fantastic and innovative examples of high-quality online learning being delivered by institutions across the UK, he said.
Dickson said the UK universities are encouraging applications even if students are unable to travel to the UK to meet usual timelines.
"We hope the Cross Border Higher Education Act will be implemented soon to enable them to offer an affordable world class education to young people in Bangladesh," he said.
People-to-People Contact
The relationship between the British and Bangladesh people is deep and strong, with around 600,000 people of Bangladesh origin living in the UK, said the British High Commissioner.
He mentioned wider links between the two countries across many areas including, trade, education, development, defence, culture and curry!
"I look forward to celebrating all of this when Bangladesh marks 50 years of Independence next year," said High Commissioner Dickson.
