Dhaka-London relations form a Global Partnership: FA

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Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury Sunday said the relationship between Bangladesh and the UK constitute a "partnership for which both sides are proud."
He made the remark while commenting on the outcome of the visit by British Foreign Secretary David Miliband in Bangladesh, reports UNB.
The foreign adviser said, "Recently, we have had two Cabinet-level visits from the UK -- from Development Cooperation Minister Douglas Alexander and Foreign Minister David Miliband, one following the other. I had held meetings with both in Kampala and invited them to come."
He also said, "I had also travelled to London and met Miliband's predecessor, Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett. Meantime, we had hosted many British Members of Parliament including Parliamentary Secretaries. These interactions have cemented this partnership."
"In addition," Iftekhar Chowdhury said, "we've a very large diaspora residing in the UK. They comprise both British-Bangladeshis and NRBs. They constitute a significant economic and emotional bridge between Bangladesh and Britain and both countries are proud of those linkages."
There are many other elements that connect "our two countries and societies," he said. "These involve common values, the English language and shared ideals that lead us to take similar positions on the international stage on such issues as climate change, development, and global peace and security."
The foreign adviser said that several joint activities to bring these relationships into a framework of partnership were being planned.
This was not confined to governments only, he underscored, but involved the two peoples as well, he added, "and spreads across past, present and future."
Meanwhile, International Organisation for Migration (IOM), an international body based in Geneva, will assist Bangladesh on migration issues.
IOM Regional Representative Rabab Fatima said this when she paid a call on the Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury at the Foreign Ministry Sunday.
They discussed a possible action plan to explore the possibilities of diversifying export of Bangladeshi labour to different destinations, including Eastern Europe.
"Last year we were able to send over 650,000 workers abroad, which is an all-time record, and earned nearly US $7.0 billion remittances, which is also a record. We have now decided to upgrade skills, and look for newer markets such as in Eastern Europe. We have already sent some to Romania recently, as the media has noted", Iftekhar Chowdhury said to the press afterwards.