The United Kingdom has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting inclusive development in Bangladesh, pledging to ensure no one is left behind while supporting the rights of indigenous communities and minority groups in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and across the country.
British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke visited the Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT) from September 15 to 16 to witness firsthand the impact of UK-funded health programmes supporting marginalised communities in the region.
During her visit to Khagrachari and Rangamati, the High Commissioner saw how funding from the UK government, in partnership with the government of Bangladesh, the UN and local partners, has helped improve maternal and child health in the Hill Tracts.
Visiting local health centres, she observed how the UK Government has supported mothers to give birth safely, access family planning and also access life-saving cervical cancer screening for the first time.
The UK is also funding education programmes in the region to strengthen government education systems and provide catch-up education to help previously out-of-school children, especially girls, return to mainstream education, said the High Commission.
High Commissioner Sarah Cooke said she was delighted to visit the Chattogram Hill Tracts for the first time as High Commissioner.
"I've really enjoyed seeing the beautiful natural landscape as well as the warmth and hospitality of the people," she said.
"I am proud that, through our partnership with the Government of Bangladesh and our UN and local partners, the UK has supported marginalised and indigenous communities access improved health services and get an education in some of the most remote parts of the country."
Between 2020 and 2024, UK-funded health programmes, implemented by UNFPA, supported over 12,000 safe births through trained midwives.
And more than 8,000 women have received cervical cancer screening.
Through the Educate the Most Disadvantaged Children programme, funded by the UK and implemented by UNICEF, children are receiving catch-up education.
In Bandarban, over 2,700 children, around half of which are girls, have been supported and are now continuing formal education.
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