British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Sarah Cooke, spoke today at the flagship DCAB Talk, organised by DCAB at the Jatiya Press Club. Photo: Collected

DHAKA, April 28, 2026 (BSS) - British High Commissioner Sarah Cooke today 
said climate action remains a central pillar of Bangladesh-UK cooperation to 
support Bangladesh's long-term prosperity, resilience and energy security as 
the country faces growing climate risks.

"For Bangladesh, climate change is not a future challenge to be managed at 
some later point; it is a reality," she said. 

Speaking at the "DCAB Talk" organised by the Diplomatic Correspondents 
Association of Bangladesh (DCAB) at the National Press Club, Sarah Cooke said 
Bangladesh is on the frontline of climate change.

The envoy said bilateral climate cooperation focuses on strengthening 
resilience, protecting communities and supporting sustainable growth.

She said UK support is helping communities in the Sundarbans adapt to climate 
impacts while safeguarding one of the world's most important ecosystems.

Cooke said the two countries are also working together to improve 
preparedness through the Bangladesh-UK hydrometeorological partnership, under 
which expertise from the UK Met Office is supporting better flood forecasting 
and early warning systems.

"Better data and earlier warnings save lives and reduce losses," she said, 
adding that mobilising climate finance at scale remains essential.

She said climate finance is now a core focus of UK engagement in Bangladesh 
through cooperation with the government and private sector to unlock blended 
finance and private capital.

Referring to regional security cooperation, Cooke said Bangladesh plays an 
important role in regional stability, maritime security and United Nations 
peacekeeping.

She welcomed the recent government-to-government agreement on transfer of the 
former HMS Enterprise, saying the vessel would strengthen Bangladesh's 
hydrographic and oceanographic survey capacity, navigational safety and 
marine resource management in the Bay of Bengal.

The High Commissioner said the UK also continues military training support 
for Bangladesh to help develop future military leaders.

On the Rohingya issue, she said the United Kingdom stands firmly with 
Bangladesh in responding to the needs of Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar. 
Since 2017, the UK has provided over œ458 million in humanitarian assistance 
for refugees and host communities.

Cooke said the UK is also working with Bangladesh to tackle illegal 
migration, visa abuse and visa fraud to ensure movement between the two 
countries remains safe, legal and fair.

She described Bangladesh-UK relations as a modern and strategic partnership.