The UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade and President of the Board of Trade, Jonathan Reynolds, met with Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser, Professor Muhammad Yunus, at the British Parliament on Wednesday (June 11, 2025).
The meeting focused on enhancing bilateral trade relations and fostering investment opportunities between the two friendly nations.
Discussions encompassed mutual interests, including strategies to boost trade and attract increased British investment in Bangladesh.
Reynolds reaffirmed the UK’s support for Bangladesh’s interim government’s initiatives to recover misappropriated funds siphoned off to various countries.
Professor Yunus highlighted the interim government’s efforts in economic recovery, particularly reforms in the banking sector, stabilisation of foreign exchange reserves, and the maintenance of macroeconomic stability.
The meeting was attended by National Security Adviser Dr. Khalilur Rahman, Special Envoy to the Chief Adviser Lutfey Siddiqi, and SDG Coordinator Lamiya Morshed.
SaSaSpecial Envoy Siddiqi proposed the initiation of a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the UK and Bangladesh, noting that Dhaka has already commenced discussions on FTAs with several countries, including Japan.
UK Trade Envoy to Bangladesh, Baroness Rosie Winterton, and British High Commissioner to Dhaka, Sarah Cooke, also participated in the meeting.
