Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) - UK's Secretary of State for International Development Andrew Mitchell MP arrived in the capital Dhaka on Saturday on a three-day official visit to Bangladesh.
Mitchell will highlight the planned scale-up of Britain's aid program in Bangladesh and the British government's commitment to results, value for money and transparency.
He will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, government officials and political figures, development partners and non-government organizations, a British High Commission press statement said.
During his visit, Mitchell will reiterate the UK's partnership with Bangladesh, discuss the country's governance and economy, and highlight the opportunities for growth and development.
The UK, through the Department for International Development (DFID), is the largest bilateral grant donor in Bangladesh and has set ambitious goals for its support to the country for the next three years.
The goals include helping five million people lift out of extreme poverty, ensuring that 1.2 million women give birth safely under skilled carers, assistance to 1.5 million girls and boys in completion of primary school and providing access to safe water to 1.2 million people.
Mitchell will visit UK-funded projects in urban and remote areas to see how UK aid is helping Bangladesh meet the challenges of urbanization, climate change and social exclusion.
BBN/SSR/AD-15Jan12-2:41 am (BST)