Mark Field, Minister for Asia and the Pacific, now in Dhaka for a two-day visit to discuss how the UK can help support and develop the higher education sector in Bangladesh.
The Minister will be the first UK Government Minister to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina since the country’s elections last December. He will discuss with her how the UK can continue to support Bangladesh as it establishes itself as a Middle Income Country and will also raise with her governance issues and media freedom.
Discussions with a number of UK universities and local institutions are already taking place and the Minister will discuss how the process can be streamlined to ensure UK degree programmes can be run in Bangladesh through branch campuses, with the approval of the University Grants Commission and the Bangladesh Ministry of Education.
Minister Field said
“Bangladesh is changing rapidly, as demonstrated by its transition to Middle Income Country status. Ensuring that economic success story continues means investing in its workforce and improving access to high-quality tertiary education. This is an area where our two countries can clearly work together for mutual benefit.”
During his visit the Minister will also meet with the Bangladesh Cricket Team, ahead of England hosting the Cricket World Cup.
