	From 17 to 26 November 2023 I was part of a cross-party delegation of MSPs who visited the People’s Republic of Bangladesh at the invitation of the High Commission of Bangladesh to the UK based in London (28 Queen's Gate, South Kensington, London SW7 5JA) and Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh. The purpose of the visit was to engage with senior politicians within the Bangladeshi government, organisations, academics and business leaders to strengthen relationships between Bangladesh and Scotland, especially on issues of joint importance such as climate change, education, support for refugees and, fair pay and conditions for garment workers, and to build skill and knowledge sharing opportunities which will benefit both our nations. The delegation held meetings with Her Excellency Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh; A.K. Abdul Momen MP, Foreign Affairs Minister; Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury MP, Speaker of the Bangladesh Parliament; Md. Shahab Uddin MP, Minister of Environment Forest & Climate Change; Professor Dr AKM Zakir Hossain, Vice-Chancellor of Kurigram Agricultural University; Md. Atiqul Islam, The Mayor of Dhaka North City; Dinner with Mahbub Ali MP, Minister of Civil Aviation and Tourism; and breakfast with Matt Cannell, British Deputy High Commissioner and Development Director to Bangladesh. The Delegation visited the Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar; Sylhet Women’s Medical College Hospital; Nabiganj and Habiganj; the medical camp in Biswanath’s Amtoil Village, and NRB Hospital in Sylhet. In the course of these visits, the delegation held meetings with Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury, Mayor of Sylhet; Chamber of Commerce of Sylhet and other business leaders from the region; university academic and administrative heads, and Ataur Rahman Selim, Mayor of Habiganj. The total cost of the visit was £3,683.57. Of the total costs, £2,300 for return flights from Edinburgh to Dhaka and a one-way internal flight from Sylhet to Dhaka was met by Workpermitcloud Limited (legal recruitment experts; of the Gherkin Level 28, 30 Street Mary Axe, London, England, EC3A, Company Registration: 12909694) and £1,082.92 for hotel accommodation, £240.65 for food and transport, £60 for internal return flights Dhaka to Cox Bazar were met by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh (State Ministry which oversees foreign relations of Bangladesh; of Segunbagicha, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh) and Sylhet City Corporation (Sylhet City Council; of Nagar Bhaban, 3100, Bangladesh). I also received gifts, which including welcome crests, posters and books. The values of the items are below the threshold for registration in the gifts category. [Registered 22 December 2023]
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