UK minister for the Indo-Pacific Catherine West on Sunday said that her government would extend full support for Bangladesh, including in its efforts to bring back billions of dollars of laundered money.
She made the comments while calling on chief adviser professor Muhammad Yunus at the state guest house Jamuna in Dhaka.
鈥業t is important to let you know that you鈥檝e got our support,鈥� Catherine West said.
The British minister said that the United Kingdom would also extend its support for Dhaka鈥檚 efforts to bring back tens of billions of dollars siphoned off abroad during Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 nearly sixteen-year-long rule.
Yunus thanked her, saying that returning money, laundered by corrupt politicians, oligarchs, and bureaucrats, was a top priority of the interim government.
Quoting a recent Transparency International Bangladesh report, he said that annually more than 12 billion dollars were siphoned off abroad.
Professor Yunus described his government鈥檚 reform initiatives to fix the country鈥檚 key institutions and the election commission.
Catherine backed the reforms, saying that Britain would like to see vibrant debates on the key aspects of electoral, judiciary, and constitutional reforms.
The minister announced 10.3 million of UK grant support to provide essential services and assistance to the Rohingya refugees, the host communities and those affected by natural disasters in Bangladesh.
Yunus reiterated his call for a 鈥楿N-overseen safe zone鈥� for communities in Myanmar鈥檚 violence-plagued Rakhine so that they didn鈥檛 have to flee across the border to Bangladesh and charities and aid groups could take food and assistance at the doorsteps of the displaced people.
During the meeting, they also discussed geopolitical issues, minority rights, ties with South Asian neighbours, and Bangladesh鈥檚 recent 40 megawatt energy deal with Nepal.
The chief adviser said that Bangladesh could ease off its reliance on fossil fuels if it could import renewable energy from Nepal and Bhutan.
During the meeting, British high commissioner to Dhaka Sarah Cook said that the UK medical team, arrived in the country that month to treat students and other demonstrators who were critically injured during the July-August mass uprising, was conducting three surgeries a day.
Later, Catherine West met foreign adviser Md Touhid Hossain at the foreign ministry.
The foreign adviser sought support of the UK for the reform initiatives of the government, reflecting the aspirations of the people, particularly the nation鈥檚 youth at the meeting that featured discussions on major bilateral issues, ranging from the priorities of British and Bangladesh governments.
Catherine West conveyed the warm greetings of British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer and foreign secretary David Lammy to Touhid Hossain.
She reaffirmed the UK鈥檚 commitment to strengthening ties with Bangladesh and underscored the UK Government鈥檚 priorities on different areas, including migration, maritime cooperation and cyber security.
Catharine also reiterated the UK鈥檚 strong position to resolve the Rohingya crisis and stressed on the importance of continued humanitarian assistance to the displaced community.
鈥榃e know that the interim government in Bangladesh has committed to restore peace and order, ensuring accountability and promoting national reconciliation, and it has the full support of the UK government in these objectives,鈥� she told the reporters after the meeting.
Catherine said that she welcomed the interim government鈥檚 determination to build a better democratic future for the people of Bangladesh.
With regard to the point-based immigration system, the foreign adviser called for the arrangement of mutual recognition of qualifications.