A delegation of the British Parliament’s All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) met Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal at his office on Tuesday and discussed strengthening parliamentary cooperation between Bangladesh and the UK.

The delegation, led by APPG Chair Apsana Begum, MP, also included Shockat Adam, MP, and Lord Qurban Hussain, a member of the House of Lords.

The delegation congratulated Bangladesh on holding what it described as a free and fair parliamentary election in 2026.

Kayser Kamal said the election was accepted as free and fair both at home and abroad.

He described Bangladesh-UK relations as deep and traditionally friendly, saying they have been built on long-standing bilateral and diplomatic ties.

The Deputy Speaker also highlighted the contribution of Bangladeshis living in the UK to strengthening relations between the two countries.

He said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has introduced the Family Card and Farmers’ Cards, among other initiatives, to improve people’s living standards and strengthen the social safety net.

Referring to institutional reforms, Kayser Kamal said the Prime Minister is working to strengthen Bangladesh’s institutions in line with the institutions in Britain.

He said Tarique Rahman considered the British Parliament a model for Bangladesh’s Parliament.

During the meeting, the British delegation expressed interest in opening branches of British educational institutions in Bangladesh.

The Deputy Speaker welcomed the proposal, saying British teachers and other official staff should be appointed at such institutions to help maintain educational standards.

The delegation also sought to know about the situation of minorities in Bangladesh.

Kayser Kamal said minorities are treated equally in every sphere of national life and noted that a number of lawmakers and ministers currently belong to minority communities.

The delegation also noted that Bangladesh has a long history of women in leadership in Parliament.

The Deputy Speaker said democracy has not been properly maintained in Bangladesh over the past one and a half decades, but the parliamentary democratic process is now functioning.

He said parliamentary standing committees have become more active and stronger, while the opposition is playing an important role in Parliament, which he described as a significant change.

Kayser Kamal said, in line with the prime minister’s initiative, students from schools, colleges and universities are now being given opportunities to observe parliamentary proceedings and visit the Parliament Complex.

He also said political identity is not being considered in recruitment to government jobs.

The Deputy Speaker said the bureaucratic system is being made more people-oriented to strengthen the country’s democratic process.

Both sides stressed the importance of exchanging parliamentary experiences between Bangladesh and the UK.

At the end of the meeting, Kayser Kamal invited the delegation to visit the Parliament Complex and the July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum. The delegation expressed a positive response to the invitation.

Senior officials of the Parliament Secretariat were present at the meeting.