British high commissioner Robert Chatterton Dickson at a programme in Dhaka on Monday said that fair and credible election is a must in order to ensure effective democratic institutions.
There is a scope for improvement in the institutional quality of Bangladesh and adherence to the rule of law and democracy is important principle to attract foreign investment, he told a ‘meet the ambassador’ programme organised by the Centre for Governance Studies at a city hotel.
The British high commissioner said that a fair election must ensure that all parties are allowed to participate, everyone should be able to cast their vote freely, and the results must be accepted by all parties.
In order to assist in election process, Dickson stated that independent observers could be provided if the election commission allows for it.
There is no quick and easy solution to the Rohingya crisis, he said. He, however, assured that his country would continue to provide Bangladesh with funding, and would advocate for the Rohingya repatriation in the UN Security Council.
He suggested that Bangladesh should find a way to imparting training and education among youths in the camps to curb criminal activities, as well as allow the displaced population to more easily reincorporate into Myanmar once repatriation starts.
The high commissioner also stated that the upcoming change in prime minister in the UK would not shift his country’s geostrategic focus from the Indo-Pacific region.
The relations between Bangladesh and the UK are very strong and will grow stronger in the future, he said.
He termed the current level of inflation a short-term problem. Bangladesh’s apparel export plays a key role in the UK market and market policies, he said.
It is important for Bangladesh to diversify its export portfolio as the ready-made garment market is particularly vulnerable to shifts in consumer demand, he said.
About foreign direct investment in Bangladesh, the British high commissioner showed interest in increasing the level of private sector investment from the United Kingdom by working to acquaint British investors with the post-LDC middle-income economy of Bangladesh.
There is potential for the UK universities to establish local campuses in Bangladesh and provide international standard education to Bangladeshi youth at competitive prices, he said.
Retired Bangladeshi diplomat M Shafiullah, Bangladesh Kallyan Party chairman retired Major General. Syed M Ibrahim, Awami League organising secretary Ahmed Hossain, Bangladesh Nationalist Party organising secretary Shama Obaid, among others, attended the programme.
CGS chair Manjur Ahmed Chowdhury and FES programme coordinator Shadhan Kumar Das also spoke in the talk moderated by CGS executive director Zillur Rahman.
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