DHAKA : The British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Her Excellency Sarah Cooke, held a meeting with Mahbubur Rahman, President of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Bangladesh, and members of the ICCB Executive Board at the ICCB Secretariat on Monday, 23 June. ICC Bangladesh President Mahbubur Rahman highlighted the long-standing and dynamic relationship between Bangladesh and the United Kingdom, rooted in deep historical ties, vibrant people-to-people connections, and robust trade. Rahman underscored the UK’s position as one of Bangladesh’s largest export destinations, particularly for ready-made garments, and acknowledged the active presence of British companies in Bangladesh’s financial services, energy, and education sectors. He expressed hope for enhanced economic collaboration, and deepening cooperation on global challenges such as climate change and sustainable development, according to a press release.
H.E.Sarah Cooke reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with Bangladesh,
particularly in enhancing two-way trade and investment. She acknowledged Bangladesh’s progress
toward graduating from Least Developed Country (LDC) status and underscored the importance of
diversifying exports to sustain economic growth. She emphasised that UK remains an important export
market for Bangladesh, and continues to support Bangladesh’s exports into the UK, including through the
Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS). This provides Bangladesh’s exporters with 0% import tariffs on 99.8% of products until 2029. After that date, exporters in Bangladesh will have 0% import tariffs on 92% of their product lines under the DCTS, including readymade garments.
Looking ahead, H.E. Sarah Cooke identified higher education, climate finance, renewable energy, and
aviation as key areas for future partnerships and cooperation. She also highlighted UK initiatives aimed
at empowering women entrepreneurs and facilitating their access to the UK market. During the meeting,
ICCB representatives proposed enhanced UK support for capacity building, skills development, and scholarships for higher education.
ICCB Vice Presidents A. K. Azad & Naser Ezaz Bijoy and Executive Board Members Abdul Hai Sarker;
Aftab Ul Islam; Anwar-Ul Alam Chowdhury (Parvez); Md. Fazlul Hoque; Mir Nasir Hossain; Sayeed Ahmed; Showkat Aziz Russell; Simeen Rahman; Banking Commission Chair Muhammad A. (Rumee) Ali; Managing Director of DBL Group M. A. Jabbar and ICCB Secretary General Ataur Rahman also attended the meeting. They welcomed the High Commissioner’s initiative and echoed the call for deepening business-to-business and institution-to-institution linkages between the two nations.
The Meeting was also attended by Saiyab Amal Ahmed, Deputy Director of Trade & Investment, British High Commission Dhaka, ICCB General Manager Ajay Bihari Saha & Deputy General Manager Syeda Shahnewaz Lotika.
