London Corrspondent: Bangladesh’s Interim Government head, Dr. Mohammad Yunus, and British Secretary of State for Energy Security Ed Miliband are expected to discuss energy, climate change, and investment during their Friday meeting in London, BM has learned. On Friday morning, Miliband and Yunus will meet at London’s Dorchester Hotel.
Former Cabinet Office Minister Miliband, who is the Member of Parliament for Doncaster, was Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change from 2008 to 2010. He was responsible for overseeing the implementation of the world-renowned Climate Change Act 2008, which made the United Kingdom the first nation to enact legislation addressing climate change. With the country’s economy expanding gradually and the government placing a greater focus on solar and renewable energy sources than on conventional energy consumption, Bangladesh’s energy consumption has been rising in both the residential and commercial sectors.
During his meeting with British Secretary of State for Energy Security, Chief Adviser of Bangladesh Dr Mohammad Yunus is likely to raise issues like UK cooperation and soft loans on energy and power sectors, officials attached with him said.
The Bangladesh entrepreneurs in textiles and garment sectors have expressed deep concern over lack of sufficient and uninterrupted power and energy in the country.
With FDI dropped, Bangladesh suffered heavily last year, Dr Yunus may also invite UK entrepreneurs to invest in Bangladesh.
The UK hold the top position in terms of net FDI inflows in the calendar year 2022 with 433 million US dollars, 528 million in 2023 and 4109 million in 2024.
Bangladeshi-British citizens also sent home 2623 million US dollars in 2024 and 20706 million in 2022, according to Bangladesh Bank
Bangladesh’s export to the United Kingdom recorded at 4477 million US dollars during 2023-24 fiscal year and 3855 million in July-April 2024-25 fiscal year, shows data of the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB)
As Bangladesh nears its graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status in 2026, its relationship with the UK has seen recalibrations, highlighting trade and investment.
The year 2024 marked an evolving chapter in the diplomatic, economic, and strategic partnership between Bangladesh and the United Kingdom (UK). Against the backdrop of global economic shifts, political transitions, and climate challenges, the two nations continued to engage in multifaceted cooperation spanning trade, governance, climate change, migration, and education.
Despite global economic turbulence and political changes in Bangladesh, the bilateral relationship between Dhaka and London continued to flourish across multiple sectors. The following were some of the notable achievements-
The UK remained one of Bangladesh’s most significant trading partner in 2024, with bilateral trade totaling £3.3 billion by Q2 2024. Although this represented a 21% decline from the previous year due to Brexit-induced tariff complexities and global supply chain disruptions, the UK maintained its position as Bangladesh’s third-largest export destination.
Given the urgency of the Rohingya and humanitarian corridor challenges, Dhaka is also likely to bring up the subject with the UK and request greater UK engagement.
In 2024, the UK pledged an additional £12 million in humanitarian aid to support both the refugees and host communities. This assistance focuses on providing clean water, healthcare, and shelter, offering protection services for vulnerable groups such as women and children, and implementing capacity-building programs to establish sustainable refugee support mechanisms.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh interim government holds no political ambitions and is solely focused on establishing a healthy democratic environment in the country, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain conveyed this to UK Minister Catherine West in November, 2024 .
Both sides committed to carry forward the robust cooperation and further strengthen the bilateral relationship between Bangladesh and the UK.
In response, the British minister pledged ongoing UK assistance for Bangladesh’s long-term development priorities and commended the country’s leadership in tackling regional and global issues.
In addition, the UK’s involvement with the Bangladeshi diaspora in the UK, which is crucial in forming bilateral ties, reflects its role in Bangladesh’s democratic transition. The importance of the Bangladeshi population in the UK, especially their efforts to fostering closer political, economic, and cultural relations between the two countries, was emphasized by the UK Foreign Secretary in November 2024.
