British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Sarah Cooke, met Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House in Dhaka on Wednesday, ahead of his official visit to the United Kingdom.

During the meeting, the high commissioner extended her congratulations to Prof Yunus on his forthcoming receipt of the prestigious King Charles Harmony Award.

“It is a great honour,” said the chief adviser.

Yunus is set to depart Dhaka on 9 June and return on 13 June. During the visit, the chief adviser is expected to hold meetings with senior British officials.

The discussions between the chief adviser and the British high commissioner encompassed a range of mutual interests, including trade and investment, aviation cooperation, migration and the interim government's efforts in asset recovery.

They also discussed the reform initiatives undertaken by the interim government and the latest political developments in Bangladesh.

Yunus informed the high commissioner that the second round of talks between the National Consensus Building Commission and political parties began this week and is expected to conclude soon.

Yunus expressed interest in receiving technical support from the UK, including training by British researchers, to bolster Bangladesh's ocean research efforts.

The meeting was also attended by Lutfey Siddiqi, Special Envoy of the Chief Adviser; Lamiya Morshed, SDG Coordinator; and James Goldman, Deputy High Commissioner of Britain.