<div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The United Kingdom (UK) today expressed their keen interest to help Bangladesh reform its banking and revenue sectors alongside the capital market.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The interest surfaced as the UK High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke called on Finance Adviser to the interim government Dr Salehuddin Ahmed at his Economic Relations Division (ERD) office in the city.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After the meeting, the finance adviser said the UK is willing to help Bangladesh reform sectors like banking, revenue and capital markets.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Those are very immediate concerns for us also. Because, unless we carry out those reforms it would be difficult for us," he told reporters after the meeting.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The adviser said they have discussed enhancement of trade and commerce between the two countries.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We want that the trade and commerce should flourish. The UK government was very helpful in the past and I hope that they will be helpful in the coming days as well. We are looking forward to their help and cooperation," he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The finance adviser and the British envoy also discussed the cooperation between Bangladesh and the UK.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Dr Salehuddin mentioned that the UK is working mainly in economic development and women's empowerment, adding, "We will continue those as well. Private sector investment is also very much important. Big business houses of Britain have invested here," he added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The adviser said that he told them to diversify the import items from Bangladesh as his country mainly exports RMG items to the UK and the European countries.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He also said that Bangladesh will have to improve the business environment to attract more private investment.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"For that, the condition is to make business environment, ease doing business that means we have to fix the climate of doing business, otherwise private sector will not come," he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mentioning that the discussion was very fruitful, the British high commissioner said the UK and Bangladesh had a very strong economic, trade and investment relations.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We're very keen to expand our trade and investment ties and we also discussed how the UK can support the economic reforms in Bangladesh that the adviser is leading and how we may jointly work to bring our experts together to discuss the issues of economic reform and also how we can boost our trade and investment ties between the two countries,"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Responding to a question on mobilizing more FDI from the UK, she said that the UK has a very strong partnership with Bangladesh.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We've a very strong and investment environment. Off course, we would like to see more FDI into Bangladesh," she added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The envoy said the British investors for sure are responsible investors, adding, "I discussed with the adviser how we can build investors' confidence and strengthen our trade and investment ties."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Replying to another question, Sarah Cooke said she also discussed the economic reforms that Bangladesh was prioritizing and how the UK can support Bangladesh in this regard.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>