Bangladesh–United Kingdom relations

Did You Know?

• Bangladeshi media operates 5 TV channels and over 12 Bangla and English dailies and weeklies in the UK.
• The UK pledged £75 million over five years to support Bangladesh's climate change adaptation programmes following the London Climate Change Conference on 10 September 2008.
• The Department for International Development committed to spend £1 billion in Bangladesh between 2011 and 2015.

History

The connection between Britain and Bangladesh began during the British Raj, when Bengal was annexed in 1757. During the Bangladesh Liberation War, Britain provided shelter to diplomats and refugees. British government, politicians, and media criticised the atrocities and expressed sympathy for the Mukti Bahini. Britain recognised Bangladesh as an independent country on 4 February 1972, which encouraged other European and Commonwealth nations to follow suit, leading to Bangladesh's induction into the Commonwealth on 18 April 1972. The UK hosts the second-largest Bangladeshi diaspora in the western world, numbering around 500,000, mostly tracing ties to Sylhet. In 1971, George Harrison helped organise the Concert for Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden, focusing global attention on the crisis.

State visit

Foreign Secretary Alec Douglas-Home visited Bangladesh in June 1972. John Major visited from 10 to 12 January 1997, and Tony Blair visited in 2002. Bangladeshi leaders including Sheikh Mujib, Ziaur Rahman, and Fakhruddin Ahmed have visited the UK. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid an official visit from 26 to 30 January 2011, holding bilateral talks with Prime Minister David Cameron on 27 January. Princess Anne visited Bangladesh in March 2011, her fourth visit, meeting the President, Prime Minister, and civil society members. Sheikh Hasina later visited the UK for the Girl Summit in London, her first visit to a Western country after the 2014 elections, emphasising bilateral relations with David Cameron. On 10 June 2025, Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus visited the UK seeking support to recover assets allegedly misappropriated by the former government. He was not granted a meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who reportedly turned down the request. Demonstrations by British Bangladeshis affiliated with the Awami League occurred outside the Dorchester Hotel, accusing Yunus's interim government of human rights violations and calling for his resignation.

Trade and investment

Trade between the UK and Bangladesh more than doubled between 2007 and 2012. In 2013, British exports to Bangladesh were worth £450 million, with services making up 71% of that total. The following year, goods exports stood at £131 million, including items like medical nuclear reactors, machinery, electrical equipment, iron and steel waste, and animal feed. The UK ranks as the third-largest market for Bangladeshi goods, behind only the United States and Germany. In 2010-11, Bangladesh sold $2.001 billion worth of products to the UK, a 33% rise from the prior year. Major British firms operating in Bangladesh include Aventis, Berger Paints, British American Tobacco, HSBC, and Unilever. The UK is the fifth-biggest source of remittances, sending $890 million between 2009 and 2011. During the 2012-13 fiscal year, Bangladesh exported $2.2 billion to the UK while importing $2 billion in goods and services.

Defence and security cooperation

Bangladesh and the UK cooperate closely on counter-terrorism, with the first meeting of the Bangladesh-UK Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism held in Dhaka on 28 June 2009. This informal engagement facilitates dialogue on current and new areas of cooperation, including training and information sharing. Defence ties are warm and intense, with the UK providing assistance in training Bangladeshi Armed Forces personnel at Sandhurst Royal Military Academy, Royal College of Defence Studies, and Joint Defense Command Staff Courses. A British Military Assistance Team served as instructors for many years. The two navies cooperate closely, with most Bangladesh Navy ships procured from the Royal Navy, and the Royal Navy provided technical advice for infrastructure like the BN Dockyard. Both armed forces work together in UN peacekeeping missions and the global war on terror, with high-profile military visits marking defence cooperation.