DHAKA: British High Commissioner to Dhaka Robert Gibson said the United Kingdom would continue its all types of assistance to achieve Millennium Development Goal.

Following a report published on ‘the telegraph’ headlined ‘Britain reviews aid to Bangladesh after election violence’, the British High Commissioner cleared the stands of his country.

Robert Gibson said UK aid is a partnership between the United Kingdom and Bangladesh. We will continue our support to rural and poorest people of Bangladesh as part of international effort to achieve Millennium Development Goal.

Quoting Warren Daley, a spokesperson based at the High Commission in Dhaka, the Telegraph reports  that UK Aid was reviewing two programmes involving work with the Bangladesh parliament to `“take into account the emerging political situation and [to decide] which aspects of the projects it will be appropriate to take forward”.

UK Aid has budgeted to spend £56.3 million over a five-year period on the two parliamentary support projects. The projects are as follows…

The main project, Promoting Democratic Institutions and Practices, is implemented by the Asia Foundation and one of its two principle objectives is to work "within parliament to improve the effectiveness and transparency of parliament.’ It has been working with members of parliament to provide them better information and capacity for fulfilling their `legislative, representational and oversight responsibilities."

The other project, in which the World Bank is managing but the government is in control, is concerned, in part, with improving parliamentary oversight of financial budgets and government audits.

BDST: 1042 HRS, JAN 12, 2014
Edited by: SM. Mostafijur Rahman Nasim, Newsroom Editor/ RS