British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke has visited the Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT) to assess UK-funded initiatives aimed at improving health and education for some of the country’s most marginalised communities.

During her two-day trip to Khagrachhari and Rangamati from 15–16 September, Cooke observed how UK government funding, in collaboration with Bangladesh authorities, the United Nations, and local partners, has strengthened maternal and child health services in the remote hill region.

At local health centres, the High Commissioner saw first-hand how UK support is helping mothers give birth safely under the care of trained midwives, gain access to family planning services, and benefit from life-saving cervical cancer screening—many for the first time.

The UK is also investing in education projects in the CHT, focusing on strengthening government systems and providing catch-up classes for children previously out of school, particularly girls, to help them reintegrate into formal education.

Cooke said, “I’m delighted to visit the Chattogram Hill Tracts for the first time as High Commissioner. It has been wonderful to experience the natural beauty of the region and the warmth of its people. I am proud that, through our partnership with the Government of Bangladesh, UN agencies, and local organisations, the UK has supported marginalised and indigenous communities to access better health services and education in some of the country’s most remote areas.”

Between 2020 and 2024, UK-supported health programmes implemented by UNFPA facilitated over 12,000 safe births with trained midwives and provided cervical cancer screening to more than 8,000 women. Through UNICEF’s Educate the Most Disadvantaged Children programme, funded by the UK, over 2,700 children in Bandarban—including nearly half who are girls—have re-entered formal schooling.

The British High Commission reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to inclusive development in Bangladesh, pledging continued support for indigenous communities and minority groups in the CHT and beyond.

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