Lord Ahmad, who is also the UK Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, is expected to meet a number of senior government ministers including the Honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen.

During the visit he will discuss his aspirations for the next fifty years of friendship between the UK and Bangladesh, with opportunities for increased trade and investment, closer security cooperation, and UK support to critical climate projects.

In a speech at the Foreign Service Academy today, the Minister announced that the UK would invest up to £54 million (around 622 crore taka) in support for education in Bangladesh. The funding will be used for two new programmes which will help ensure disadvantaged girls and young people will have access to a quality education.

The first programme, called ‘Educate the Most Disadvantaged Children’, will provide catch-up and accelerated education for marginalised out-of-school children in hard to reach areas, focusing on girls and children with disabilities. It aims to reach over 360,000 children, supporting them to gain foundational learning and, where possible, re-enter formal education. The UK will work with the Government of Bangladesh’s Bureau of Non-Formal Education to strengthen the non-formal education sector and will fund robust research to build the evidence base on ‘what works’ to bring disadvantaged children back to school in Bangladesh. The programme will be delivered with partners including UNICEF and BRAC.

The second programme, ‘Education Quality Improvement Programme in Bangladesh’, will provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Primary and Mass Education in Bangladesh. It will work alongside the Government of Bangladesh to improve students’ learning, strengthen the education system’s efficiency and effectiveness, and enable adolescent girls to stay and learn in secondary school. The programme will be delivered with partners including UNICEF and the World Bank.

Lord Ahmad said

“Educating girls is one of the smartest investments we can make to fight poverty and save lives. Today I announced new UK funding of up to £54 million to support education in Bangladesh, with a focus on ensuring all children, but especially girls and those with disabilities, have access to a high-quality education. Increasing access to literacy and skills will bring benefits to children and their families and will drive Bangladesh’s continued economic growth.”

Later this week Lord Ahmad will represent the UK at the Indian Ocean Rim Association Council of Ministers, as Bangladesh assumes the Chair from UAE. Lord Ahmad will also visit Cox’s Bazaar and discuss solutions to support the Rohingya refugees from Myanmar.

Lord Ahmad’s visit follows the recent meeting between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at COP26 in Glasgow, and messages of support for Bangladesh’s Golden Jubilee earlier this year from Her Majesty the Queen, His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Ahead of his arrival, Lord Ahmad said

“I am delighted to be returning to Bangladesh in its Golden Jubilee year and look forward to celebrating the tremendous achievements of the past half century with friends old and new. The relationship between our two countries is founded on a shared history and strong ties. I am confident that our partnership will continue to flourish over the next fifty years of BritBanglaBondhon and beyond.”

More information:

Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon is the Minister for South Asia, the United Nations and the Commonwealth at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. He was first appointed as the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict and as Minister of State for the Commonwealth and the United Nations on 13 June 2017.

Further information

Email: Dhaka.Press@fco.gov.uk

Follow the British High Commissioner to Bangladesh on Twitter: @RCDicksonUK

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UK businesses are being encouraged to unlock their exporting potential and sell to the world as International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan launches the inaugural International Trade Week, which starts today [Monday 15 November].

Throughout the week, the Department for International Trade (DIT) will host over 100 events and workshops all over the UK to support and encourage businesses to explore their expansion into international markets. From London to Edinburgh and Cardiff to Belfast, events will connect businesses of all sizes and sectors with expert trade advisors, Parliamentarians and Ministers.  

The Minister for Exports, Mike Freer will be launching a new “Made in the UK, Sold to the World” campaign with Mayor Street at International Trade Week’s headline event in Birmingham. The campaign will champion local export success stories and promote opportunities in international markets to take advantage of the global demand for the high quality goods the UK is known for.

Government-led research estimates that exports support 6.5 million jobs across the UK and shows that exporters pay higher wages, are on average 21% more productive, and tend to be more resilient, innovative, and profitable. However, many businesses across the UK are yet to take the plunge and aren’t sure how to start selling their products overseas.

International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said:

The UK makes some of the best products in the world, but only 1 in 10 businesses currently export them around the world. I want this International Trade Week to be a catalyst for businesses to sell to new markets and take advantage of the trade deals we are negotiating.

My department has a clear message to any business thinking about exporting for the first time. There has never been a better time to export.

Our industry experts in Trade and Investment Hubs around the UK and based around the world will stand shoulder to shoulder and give you the support you need to take the next step on your exporting journey and sell to the world.

13 businesses from all over the UK have been selected to front the “Made in the UK, Sold to the World” campaign and the International Trade Secretary will visit one of them, Crep Protect, to celebrate the launch.

This sneaker care business, founded by three brothers from London in 2013, now exports to 52 countries and employs almost 100 people. Not only are they supplying Foot Locker and JD Sports, they’ve partnered with one of the most recognisable sports leagues in the world, the NBA, and have DJ Khaled as a brand ambassador.

Rizwan Ahmed, Co-Founder and Owner at Crep Protect said:

We are proud that Crep Protect, has grown from a London based business into an international brand which now sells to the world. Having built our premium sneaker care brand within the UK, we wanted to share our passion for sneakers and innovation with international markets, who could also benefit from our products and services.

Much of our growth in the last eight years has come through building relationships with key retailers and our award-winning marketing. Our international sales account for 65% of our revenue and have helped turn a passion for sneaker care into a global brand.

We wanted to be part of the “Made in the UK, Sold to the World” campaign to help inspire other small business owners to think big; and we are excited to see billboards highlighting Crep Protect’s growth go live this week.

Exports are central to the government’s ambition to level up every part of the UK and help businesses build back better, which is why exporters who get involved with this campaign will have access to marketing materials specific to their hometown or region.

With International Trade Advisors and sector specialists stationed around the country, DIT has the expertise to support new and experienced exporters on their international journey.

The UK has already agreed trade deals with 69 countries plus the EU and has an ambitious programme of negotiations to build relationships with our trading partners, reduce market access barriers and help UK businesses take advantage of these opportunities.

The Department for International Trade is today, 15th November, announcing that it will host a second edition of the Africa Investment Conference on 20 January 2022.

The conference will mark two years from the UK-Africa Investment Summit hosted in London by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, where 27 trade and investment deals worth £6.5bn and further commitments worth £8.9bn were announced.

The conference will be a one-day virtual event aimed at inspiring further UK investment into Africa. It will showcase emerging opportunities across Africa, including in clean growth solutions, highlighting UK expertise.

The UK’s COP26 and G7 presidencies in 2021, as well as COP27 in Egypt next year, will help drive global commitment to a low-carbon future.

UK Minister for Investment Lord Gerry Grimstone said:

The 2020 UK-Africa Investment Summit secured partnerships and investment commitments worth over £15 billion, leading to long term economic growth and jobs for both our regions.

The upcoming African Investment Conference will provide the perfect opportunity to build on this success by bringing UK-Africa investment opportunities, from clean growth to financial services, to the fore within our business communities.

Vicky Ford MP, Minister for Africa, said:

Strengthening our connections with emerging markets across Africa is a priority for the UK.

This conference will bring British and African businesses together to unlock investment, boost growth and support a green transition in both the UK and Africa.

Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Africa (Acting), Alastair Long, said:

We are proud to be convening this second edition of the Africa Investment Conference after the success of the first one in January 2021. Through this event, we will identify real commercial deals and highlight opportunities for UK businesses and investors to respond to.

This year alone, we have supported more than £2.4bn of UK direct investment into Africa as we have mobilised our teams across the continent to connect British businesses to the opportunities that exist across the African continent. Through this event we will explore the elements needed to support successful investment and the impact that investment can have in Africa.

Co-Chair of the Africa Investors Group (AIG) Andrew Skipper said:

The formation of the Africa Investors Group, following the highly successful UK-Africa Investment Summit of 2020, shows how the UK is putting business at the centre of its investment policy. African countries are stimulating growth through a new paradigm post-pandemic. Companies and investors from the UK, with its strength of rule of law and the deep cultural connections it shares with the continent of Africa, are ideally placed to work in partnership with Africa to contribute to this renewed drive.

The UK private sector can bring expertise, investment and understanding in a range of areas of unparalleled excellence across the continent and across sectors. The focus of the event will be to ‘get it done together’ and we cannot wait to play our part.

The UK Department for International Trade is prioritising building strong trading relationships in Africa, which have the potential to create, diversify and protect investment opportunities. The UK has so far signed nine trade agreements with 17 African countries and ensured continued market access for the majority of the remaining African nations through the UK’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences. A Memorandum of Understanding with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has also been signed, the first of its kind with a non-African country.

Further information on the event, including how to register to attend, is available here.