UK to double its aid budget for BD in next 4 yrs

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Robert Gibson

FE Report
The United Kingdom (UK) will double its aid budget for Bangladesh over the next four years to help eradicate poverty and ensure quality education to children, British High Commissioner in Dhaka Mr. Robert Gibson said Wednesday.
The British government will also help develop the private sector and improve financial governance in Bangladesh, the British diplomat said.
"Over the next four years, we will be doubling our aid budget to Bangladesh. It will be result-oriented," Mr. Gibson told a 'Meet the Press' programme of the National Press Club (NPC).
The programme, held at the conference lounge of the NPC, was presided over by its President Kamal Uddin Sabuj.
The High commissioner said the UK is the largest investor in Bangladesh, on a cumulative basis, with around two billion pounds worth of investment made so far in the country. Over 50 UK companies are operating in the cities of Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet and Khulna, he added.
Furthermore, Mr. Gibson said the bilateral trade between the two countries has grown by 42 per cent between 2005 and 2010.
Last year the office of the British High Commission in Dhaka processed 34,000 visas and issued visas to 70 per cent of the applications whose forms were processed, Mr. Gibson said.
NPC General Secretary Syed Abdal Ahmad and NPC Managing Committee Member Zahirul Alam spoke on the occasion.
Elaborating the development programmes in Bangladesh that will receive the attention of the UK government for the purpose of implementation in the next four years, Mr. Gibson said the areas include improving the environment for doing business, supporting private sector investment and infrastructure, providing access to financing to a broader group of people, enhancing the competitiveness of micro-, small- and medium enterprises and creating a skilled labour force for industrial development.
Responding to a question, he said Britain is still concerned over the disappearance of BNP leader Illias Ali and his driver and it urged the government to take every possible steps to find them.
"Since his disappearance we have been in constant contact with the appropriate authorities and raised concern. We will continue to raise the issue of disappearance with the government," Mr. Gibson said.
Some people in Bangladesh have been expressing concern over the prevailing state of law and order and rule law and some see that 'law enforcing agencies appear to work beyond the judicial norms', he said.
"We want to see improvements of the situation in such areas of concern", he added.