UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade and President of the Board of Trade, Jonathan Reynolds, has reaffirmed the UK's support for Bangladesh's interim government's initiatives to recover misappropriated funds siphoned off to various countries.
Reynolds gave the assurance during a meeting with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus at the British Parliament on Wednesday.
Yunus highlighted the interim government's efforts in economic recovery, particularly reforms in the banking sector, stabilisation of foreign exchange reserves, and the maintenance of macroeconomic stability.
The meeting focused on enhancing bilateral trade relations and fostering investment opportunities between the two friendly nations, according to the Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary.
Discussions covered mutual interests, including strategies to boost trade and attract increased British investment in Bangladesh.
Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman, Special Envoy to the Chief Adviser Lutfey Siddiqi, and SDG Affairs Principal Coordinator Lamiya Morshed, among others, attended the meeting.
Special Envoy Siddiqi proposed initiating a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the UK and Bangladesh, noting that Dhaka has already begun discussions on FTAs with several countries, including Japan.
UK Trade Envoy to Bangladesh Baroness Rosie Winterton and British High Commissioner to Dhaka Sarah Cooke also participated in the meeting.