UK parliament praises Bangladesh’s economic growth
The UK parliament has said the relatively open civic space has played a major role in Bangladesh’s successful economic growth and development.
In a report, made public recently, on the UK’s role in development of Bangladesh, the parliament also commended how the authorities and local communities in Bangladesh have pursued an open border policy for Rohingya people with generosity and compassion, said a release issued here on Sunday.
The report on UK’s role in development in Bangladesh, Myanmar and the Rohingya crisis also praised how the local NGOs, including BRAC, have helped the UK in making meaningful contributions to improve the current Rohingya situation.
As Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries with many still living below the poverty line, the UK government has continued to strengthen efforts to persuade the international community to fully shoulder the responsibilities of the displaced Rohingya population, said a summary of the report available on the website of the UK parliament, the release added.
The UK parliament also recognized the recent graduation of Bangladesh to the lower-income status as a country, adding that it was a success story resulting from many years of sustained economic growth.
“There was a lot of energy and confidence in the people we met, the projects we visited and the places we travelled through,” the summary states.
The report sought to review the performance of UKAID’s contributions in Bangladesh, particularly praised BRAC, Bangladesh's homegrown development facility and currently the biggest NGO in the world.
It lauded the strategic partnership between the UK government's Department of International Development (DFID) and BRAC.
It also said that the outcomes of the partnership between DFID and BRAC, in handling the Rohingya crisis and also in forwarding the overall development of Bangladesh, should be “replicated where appropriate.”
Earlier this year, BRAC’s Senior Director of Communication, Strategy and Empowerment, Asif Saleh, travelled to the UK to give evidence in person to the committee dealing with the report. BRAC also submitted written evidence to help the committee with their inquiry.
Source: BSS
