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Press Release
9 December 2005
UK Minister hopes to strengthen Bangladesh - UK partnership
Mr Hilary Benn, UK Secretary of State for International Development, is making a two-day visit to Bangladesh starting 11 December. During his visit he will call on the Prime Minister and Finance Minister, and see development work being carried out on the ground.
Speaking in London this week, Mr Benn said:
“I am looking forward to discussing with Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia and Finance Minister Saifur Rahman how we can work together to make faster development progress in Bangladesh.
“The development challenges facing the country remain considerable, and I am looking forward to seeing the progress being made to improve the lives of poor people since my last visit in 2002.
“I will be visiting Bangladesh on my way to a meeting of the World Trade Organisation in Hong Kong. Trade is crucial for Bangladesh’s continued growth. It will be a chance to find out how the Ready Made Garments sector, the largest source of export revenue for Bangladesh, is coping with the phasing out of the Multi-Fibre Agreement. And I will be interested to explore what is being done to attract higher levels of investment to Bangladesh”.
Additional Information
- DFID’s support to Bangladesh is set out in its Country Assistance Plan. In line with the Government of Bangladesh’s Poverty Reduction Strategy, this seeks to reduce poverty and address the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through a programme promoting growth, better governance and human development. It emphasises the multi dimensional nature of poverty and its particular relevance to women and girls.
- DFID is focussing its programme on seven key areas prioritised in the Government of Bangladesh’s own Poverty Reduction Strategy; primary education; health care; water and sanitation; livelihoods of the poorest; private sector development and economic infrastructure; governance; and disaster preparedness and climate change.
- DFID’s programme aid in 2005/06 and 2006/07 is 125 million per year. It is the largest bilateral donor to Bangladesh. All UK assistance is provided on grant terms and is free of any commercial conditions trying its use to UK products and services.
- For more information on the visit and DFID contact Milon Khan, Communications Manager, Cell phone: 011810235, E-mail: AM-Khan@dfid.gov.uk , log on www.dfidbangladesh.org
