UK Reaffirms Commitment to Continue Support for Rohingya Refugees
Dhaka | Sunday, 08 March 2026
The United Kingdom has reiterated its commitment to continue supporting Rohingya refugees—also known as displaced Myanmar citizens—currently living in Bangladesh.
During a courtesy call on Salahuddin Ahmed, the Home Minister of Bangladesh, at his office in the Ministry of Home Affairs (Bangladesh) at the Bangladesh Secretariat in Dhaka, the British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Sarah Cooke, reaffirmed the UK’s continued commitment to assisting Rohingya refugees. The meeting took place on Sunday morning, March 8, 2026.
During the discussion, the Home Minister highlighted four key issues that are crucial for the overall socio-economic development of Rohingya refugees living in camps across the country. According to the minister, these priorities include ensuring the security of refugee camps, providing skill development opportunities for refugees, facilitating the safe repatriation of Rohingyas to their homeland, and controlling drugs and other criminal activities within the camps. He emphasized that the government of Bangladesh is actively working on these important issues.
The British High Commissioner expressed the United Kingdom’s agreement with these priorities and stressed the importance of keeping the Rohingya crisis at the forefront of international discussions. She noted that the Rohingya issue is regularly debated at the United Nations Security Council, helping to maintain international attention on the humanitarian crisis. She further stated that the United Kingdom, like Bangladesh, supports the repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, but such repatriation must be safe, voluntary, and dignified.
The meeting also included discussions on several issues of mutual interest between the two countries. These included law and order, security cooperation, the Rohingya crisis, police reform, illegal and irregular migration, counter-terrorism efforts, intelligence sharing, and other bilateral matters.
At the beginning of the meeting, the Home Minister warmly welcomed the High Commissioner, while the High Commissioner congratulated the minister on assuming his new responsibilities. The minister described the United Kingdom as a close ally and one of Bangladesh’s important development partners.
He also mentioned that an agreement aimed at preventing visa fraud between the two countries is expected to be signed soon. According to the minister, the United Kingdom has already prepared and sent a draft of the agreement, and Bangladesh intends to complete the necessary procedures before signing it formally.
During the discussion, the British High Commissioner emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in order to prevent irregular migration. She noted that a virtual meeting between experts and senior officials from both countries would soon be organized to discuss strategies and coordination on this issue.
The Home Minister also sought the United Kingdom’s support in implementing police reform initiatives in Bangladesh. Both sides agreed to enhance cooperation through intelligence sharing and possible extradition arrangements. In addition, Bangladesh and the United Kingdom reaffirmed their commitment to working together to combat terrorism and strengthen regional security.
The High Commissioner further informed that a meeting between the Home Ministers of the two countries is expected to take place on the sidelines of the International Fraud Summit 2026, which will be held in Vienna, the capital of Austria, on March 16–17, 2026.
Among those present at the meeting were Rebecca Khan, Joint Secretary of the Political-1 Branch of the Ministry of Home Affairs; Tim Duckett, Political Counselor of the British High Commission in Dhaka; Ryan Duncanson, Counselor for Justice and Home Affairs; and Abdul Wahid, International Liaison and Migration Officer, among others.
The meeting reflected the ongoing cooperation and strong diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and the United Kingdom, particularly in addressing humanitarian challenges such as the Rohingya crisis and strengthening collaboration in security, migration management, and law enforcement.