UK Trade Envoy to Bangladesh Baroness Winterton. Photo: Collected

DHAKA, Oct 5, 2025 (BSS)- UK Trade Envoy to Bangladesh Baroness Winterton arrived in Dhaka today on a five-day official visit aimed at reinforcing the long-standing trade and investment partnership between the two countries.

The visit comes at a time when Bangladesh prepares for national elections in February 2026 and its graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status in November 2026. 

Baroness Winterton’s mission seeks to deepen the UK’s engagement with Bangladesh’s economic reform agenda and promote two-way trade and investment for shared prosperity, according to officials.

During her stay, Baroness Winterton will hold meetings with senior members of the Interim Government, including Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin, Education Adviser Professor Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar and Special Envoy on International Affairs Lutfey Siddiqi.

Discussions will focus on advancing bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, and economic reform.

She is also scheduled to meet with leaders of major political parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, and the National Citizen Party, reaffirming the UK’s position as a long-term partner in Bangladesh’s sustainable growth and democratic journey.

The Trade Envoy also have engagement with stakeholders across key sectors such as aviation, higher education, renewable energy, and defence in Dhaka and Chattogram.

In Chattogram, she will observe UK-linked investments that are creating employment, strengthening supply chains, and contributing to economic growth in both nations.

The visit will also highlight the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS), which ensures full duty-free access for Bangladeshi goods to the UK market until 2029. The scheme aims to support Bangladesh’s export competitiveness during and after its LDC graduation.

Baroness Winterton will further meet with officials of British International Investment (BII), the UK’s development finance institution, and its local partners to review initiatives in green finance and sustainable infrastructure development.

“The UK and Bangladesh share a dynamic and growing economic partnership,” Baroness Winterton said prior to her visit.

“I am here to reaffirm our commitment to supporting Bangladesh’s remarkable development journey and to explore new opportunities for trade and investment that benefit both our nations,” she said.

British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke described the Trade Envoy’s second visit in six months as “a testament of the UK’s strong commitment to Bangladesh’s economic reform and long-term growth.”

Baroness Winterton was appointed as the UK’s Trade Envoy to Bangladesh in January 2025. It’s her second visit to Bangladesh in that capacity.