DHAKA, May 26, 2022 (BSS) - The British High Commission (BHC) celebrated 
Queens Elizabeth's 96th birthday in the capital with a colourful reception. 

This year, the event had a special significance as the Queen is celebrating 
her Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne. 
 
Queen Elizabeth II has ruled for longer than any other monarch in British 
history, becoming a much loved and respected figure across the globe. 

The Platinum Jubilee will be celebrated in the UK over an extended four-day 
weekend in June while Bangladesh parliament Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin 
Chaudhury graced the reception in Dhaka as guest of honour on Wednesday 
evening. 

Dr Chaudhury said that Father of Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had 
laid the foundation of Bangladesh-United Kingdom (UK) relations and Dhaka and 
London have already marked the 50th anniversary of establishing bilateral 
relations. 

The Speaker expressed gratitude to Queen Elizabeth II for recognizing 
Bangladesh as an independent state in 1972. 
 
British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson said Her 
Majesty has been an incredible source of strength for the UK and the 
Commonwealth through a period of enormous change. 

"Today, thanks to the generosity of our partners, we are making a donation to 
further the causes of girls' education and women's empowerment in 
Bangladesh," he said. 

Through this contribution, the high commissioner said, they pay tribute to 
Her Majesty's exemplary devotion to a life of service and celebrate the 
international cooperation she has championed throughout her reign.

The Jubilee is a central element of an exciting year of UK culture and 
creativity, including the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and the BBC's 
Centenary while the theme of the event was chosen as "Empowering Girls to 
Change Their World" In honour of Her Majesty. 
 
The British High Commission invited girls and young women from across 
Bangladesh to join the party and introduce themselves to guests, sharing 
their dreams for the future. 

A significant portion of the sponsorship raised for the event will be used to 
support girls' education across Bangladesh through the British Council’s EDGE 
Programme.
 
EDGE, standing for English and Digital for Girls' Education, is designed to 
help adolescent Bangladeshi girls to receive capacity building, career 
counselling, mentorship, language skills, digital navigation skills and, 
importantly, how to protect themselves from child marriage, cyber bullying, 
gender-based harassment and intimidation. 
 
The programme is currently providing training to 2,400 young girls in 
Bangladesh and helping to give them economic opportunities and strengthen 
their voices.