UK assures tariff-free access for Bangladeshi goods post-Brexit

Labour rights in the garment industry, tariff-free access to Bangladeshi goods, education and the Rohingya crisis were the key issues discussed in the second Bangladesh-UK Strategic Dialogue held in London last week. The United Kingdom assured tariff-free market access for Bangladeshi goods entering the UK market after the latter leaves the European Union.

The United Kingdom encouraged Bangladesh to continue addressing human and labour rights issues in the garment industries.

Led by the permanent under-secretary at the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office Simon McDonald and his Bangladeshi counterpart foreign secretary Mohammad Shahidul Haque, the dialogue involved an exchange of views on political and bilateral issues, economic and development cooperation, security and defence cooperation and current global issues, according to Bangladesh media reports.

“The status quo is changing for both parties in different ways,” said Md Khorshed. “We are trying to map our priorities and go for a more engaging and win-win kind of partnership.”

The third such strategic dialogue, launched in 2017, will be held in Dhaka in 2019.