United News of Bangladesh

British Secretary of State for Business and Trade and President of the Board of Trade Jonathan Reynolds held a meeting with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the British parliament on Wednesday. They discussed the issues of mutual interest. Special Envoy Lutfey Siddiqi, National Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman, SDGs Affairs Principal Coordinator Secretary Dr Md Nazrul Islam, Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Abida Islam and British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke were, among others, present. No desire to be part of next elected govt: Prof Yunus Jonathan Reynolds was appointed Secretary of State for Business and Trade and President of the Board of Trade on July 5, 2024. He was elected as the MP for Stalybridge and Hyde in May 2010.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey said on Tuesday the organisation is keen to support Bangladesh in political reforms ahead of the planned general election next year. “We will be happy to provide the support if Bangladesh requires it, especially the support for constitutional reforms,” Botchwey said as she called on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at his hotel in London. Botchwey said supporting member states in harnessing democracy and good governance is one of the key priorities for the organisation in the next five years, said Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder. The other priorities are boosting trade and investment and supporting members fighting climate change, she said. Noting that the Commonwealth is a platform of 2.7 billion people, the Ghanaian national said the annual trade among the member states currently stood around 850 billion USD and that they had a plan to raise it to at least 1 trillion dollars in the coming years. Airbus, Menzies Aviation executives meet Prof Yunus in London She said many of the Commonwealth members are affected by climate change, and many of these member countries are small in size. “We will be trying to help them get access to climate finance,” she said.

A group of UK parliamentarians under the banner of All Party Parliamentary Group called on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at his hotel here on Tuesday and discussed issues of mutual interest. Chief Adviser’s Special Envoy Lutfey Siddiqi, National Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman, Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur, SDGs Affairs Principal Coordinator Lamiya Morshed, Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Md Nazrul Islam and Bangladesh Ambassador to the UK Abida Islam, among others, were present. Earlier in the day, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus held separate meetings with Wouter van Wersch, Executive Vice President of Airbus, and Charles Wyley, Executive Vice President of Menzies Aviation, and discussed issues of mutual interest. Airbus, Menzies Aviation executives meet Prof Yunus in London The meetings were held at his (Prof Yunus) place at residence (hotel) in London separately, Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder told UNB. The Commonwealth Secretary General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey also met Prof Yunus separately later today.  

As Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus begins his official visit to the United Kingdom, anti-corruption campaigners from both countries have urged the UK government to take stronger action in helping Bangladesh trace and recover assets allegedly stolen by the previous regime. Transparency International Bangladesh, Transparency International UK and Spotlight on Corruption jointly called for the UK authorities to impose sanctions on individuals from the Bangladeshi elite suspected of serious corruption and to step up enforcement efforts to seize suspicious assets located in Britain, said a press release of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) issued on Tuesday. Iftekhar Zaman, executive director of TIB said “The UK needs to act urgently to make the most of this rare window for democratic transition and accountable governance in Bangladesh. The return of stolen wealth should be a central plank of ongoing anti-corruption reform efforts in the country and a powerful message that money laundering is in the end effectively held to account in both source and destination”.  Susan Hawley, executive director of Spotlight on Corruption, said “There is no time to lose for the UK Government to put Anti-Corruption sanctions in place to make sure Bangladeshi assets linked to misappropriation and bribery are frozen here and in the UK’s overseas territories. This will give law enforcement agencies crucial time to pursue cases and recover these assets and send a strong message that those linked to grand corruption cannot get away with looting assets with impunity.” Duncan Hames, director of Policy at Transparency International UK, said “Having declared a war on money laundering, the UK should immediately investigate the £400 million in British properties tied to Sheikh Hasina's associates and seize any assets linked to corruption. Swift action would prove Britain's commitment to accountability isn't just rhetoric, and support Bangladesh's quest for democratic renewal.” Airbus, Menzies Aviation executives meet Prof Yunus in London Investigations by The Observer and Transparency International UK have identified at least £400 million worth of UK properties allegedly owned by close associates of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. The UK’s National Crime Agency has reportedly frozen £90 million worth of these assets. Chief Adviser Yunus, who heads Bangladesh’s interim government, has pledged to root out corruption and recover public funds allegedly stolen during Hasina’s 15-year tenure. A government-commissioned white paper estimates that some $234 billion was siphoned out of the country between 2009 and 2023—equivalent to about $16 billion a year. The British high commissioner in Dhaka has pledged support to Bangladesh’s interim government in restoring peace and ensuring accountability. Meanwhile, the UK Foreign Secretary has stated that the “golden age of money laundering is over.” Sheikh Hasina’s government fell in August 2024 following weeks of mass protests led by student movements demanding democratic reforms.

British Council launched a research report on Tuesday with insights into the current and future potential of Transnational Education (TNE) in Bangladesh. The report was launched at an event hosted at the British Council’s Fuller Road auditorium in Dhaka, according to a press release on Tuesday. JU expels 289 students, suspends 9 teachers over July uprising attacks Both opportunities and challenges faced by students and institutions in the country were included in the report. Professor Dr SMA Faiz, chairman of University Grants Commission (UGC), was the Chief Guest, while the British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Sarah Cooke, attended as Special Guest at the event. Salvador Carbajal Lopez, director of Education for South Asia at the British Council, presented the key findings of the research. Stephen Forbes,country director for British Council Bangladesh, spoke about the role of TNE in shaping the future of higher education in Bangladesh, it said. He said, “This report helps identify challenges and opportunities for TNE growth and closer cooperation between the UK and Bangladesh’s higher education sectors, bridging gaps in access and driving economic growth.” Prof Faiz spoke about the British Council’s efforts to foster TNE collaboration between Bangladesh and the UK and the mutual benefits for both countries in terms of academic excellence, capacity-building, and global competitiveness. Sarah Cooke talked about the importance of TNE in strengthening UK-Bangladesh ties, calling it an opportunity to explore how global education partnerships are shaping the future of learning. 128 DU students expelled for attacks on protesters during July movement The event included a panel discussion on unlocking the potential and social value of TNE in Bangladesh, moderated by David Knox, director of Programmes at the British Council, said the release. Panellists included Mohammad Anwar Hossen, member of UGC; Professor Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan, vice chancellor of Jahangirnagar University; and Ishtiaque Abedin, secretary general of the Association of Private Universities of Bangladesh. The report, commissioned by the British Council and conducted by Ecctis, provided several key recommendations, including improving regulatory processes, addressing language barriers, enhancing digital infrastructure for remote learning, and promoting gender equity in diverse subject areas, it added. Toufiq Hasan, head of Education at the British Council, announced the winners of the 2025 TNE Grant, awarding GBP 25,000 to UK-Bangladesh collaborations, including partnerships with Liverpool John Moores University, Nottingham Trent University, and others. These grants aim to strengthen institutional partnerships through TNE initiatives. The full report is available on the British Council’s website.

The United Kingdom (UK) has appreciated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s enduring leadership in tackling climate change, both domestically and on the international stage.