The British High Commission celebrated the Official Birthday of King Charles III and the Coronation of The King and Queen in Dhaka on Wednesday.
In honour of the King, the themes of the event were “youth, community, diversity, and sustainability”.
Sarah Cooke, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, hosted a reception, with Tazul Islam, Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, attending the event as the guest of honour.
MPs, government officials, members of the Diplomatic Corps and representatives from the fields of business, trade, social development, academia, arts, culture, media and sports joined the celebration.
A significant portion of the sponsorship raised for the event will be used to support the empowerment of women in leadership and youth promotion of climate advocacy across Bangladesh, through YouthNet for Climate Justice and WAVE Foundation for Women in Leadership, the High Commission said in a statement.
“I am delighted to host this reception to celebrate the Official Birthday of His Majesty King Charles III and the Coronation of Their Majesties The King and The Queen. The UK and Bangladesh enjoy a strong partnership, based on our long shared history, deep people-to-people ties and as members of the Commonwealth. His Majesty The King is Head of the Commonwealth family of nations,” the High Commissioner said.
“With thanks to our partners, we are also making a donation today to support women's empowerment and climate justice through youth engagement in Bangladesh. His Majesty is a strong supporter of youth, community, sustainability, and diversity and with this contribution we pay tribute to him.”
The King's Birthday Party is celebrated by British Embassies and High Commissions around the world. This year, The King turns 75 on November 14.
The King is Head of the Commonwealth, which is a family of 56 countries working together for prosperity, democracy and peace.
The British High Commission Dhaka's King's Birthday Party 2023 was supported by HSBC (Platinum Partner); Le Meridien Dhaka (Hospitality Partner); Unilever and Standard Chartered Bank (Diamond Partners); Airbus, Duncan Brothers, Haileybury Bhaluka and Next Sourcing (Gold Partners); G4S, MG Bangladesh, PCS and Tysers (Silver Partners).
Bangladesh-UK relations: A strong bond of friendship
Bangladesh and the UK have historic relations and traditional friendly ties.
According to the Foreign Ministry, Bangladesh recalls with deep gratitude the support of the British people across various constituencies and that of the then British political leaders during the Liberation War in 1971.
Upon his release from a Pakistani prison, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman returned to Bangladesh on January 10, 1972.
En route to Dhaka, Bangabandhu stopped over London where he had a meeting with the then British Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath at 10 Downing Street and Opposition Leader Harold Wilson at Claridges Hotel..
"This laid the foundation of the special nature of the relationship between the two friendly countries."
The UK was among the first European countries to recognise Bangladesh on February 4, 1972, a move which influenced quick recognition by other Commonwealth and Western countries. It is mentionable that Bangladesh became a member of the Commonwealth two months later, on April 14.
The expatriate Bangladesh community living in the United Kingdom played a significant role during the Liberation War in garnering the support of the people and the Government of the United Kingdom. The Bangladeshi diaspora, which is now over half a million, remains a key linkage in the growing bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the UK.
The two countries are continuing cooperation in different areas.
Since 2017, the UK has provided £352 million of humanitarian support to Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh.
The UK showed leadership in raising and coordinating the issue in the United Nations Security Council. UK Ministers and MPs raised concerns in Select Committees, parliament debates and outside parliament and created pressure on the Myanmar government, according to the Bangladesh High Commission in London.
About the King
King Charles III, formerly known as The Prince of Wales, became King on the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022.
In addition to his official and ceremonial duties in the United Kingdom and overseas as Prince of Wales, His Majesty has taken a keen and active interest in all areas of public life for decades. The King has been instrumental in establishing more than 20 charities over 40 years, including The Prince's Trust, The Prince's Foundation and The Prince of Wales's Charitable Fund (PWCF).
His Majesty has worked closely with many organisations, publicly supporting a wide variety of causes relating to the environment, rural communities, the arts, healthcare and education, according to the Royal website.
Trooping the Colour 2023 - King Charles III's first official birthday parade
It is a long-standing royal tradition for monarchs to have two birthdays.
They spend the actual day of birth with close family, with official gun salutes marking the occasion.
The big public gathering happens on the second Saturday of June, known as Trooping the Colour or the King's Birthday Parade.
King Charles III's actual birthday is November 14. He was born on November 14, 1948 - but the Sovereign's birthday (or HM The King's official birthday) is celebrated on another date, usually in the summer months.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's official birthday was celebrated in June, while her actual birthday was on April 21.
The ceremonial Horse Guards Parade of the official birthday is known as Trooping the Colour.
