Britain's ties with Sylhet very strong: Denham

UK Minister for Communities and Local Government John Denham MP yesterday said the British aid to Bangladesh will be raised to 150 million pounds in 2011 from this year's 126 million.
He was addressing a function on signing a memorandum of understanding on 'Urban Partnership for Poverty Reduction' (UPPR) project at the conference hall of Sylhet City Corporation (SCC).
Sylhet is among the six cities and 24 municipalities included in the Tk 816 crore project being implemented by LGED with DFID's contribution of Tk 749 crore, UNDP's Tk 20.55 crore and Bangladesh government's Tk 46.45 crore.
Bangladesh origin people in the UK have formed a very successful community for long and by now they are an integral part of the society there, the UK minister said, adding that they are contributing to the British economy as well as in other sectors.
"The community has a majority from the greater Sylhet region and so, our relation with Sylhet is very strong. We need to work together for effective poverty reduction programme in Sylhet and other parts of the country. The programme will surely deepen and strengthen the UK-Bangladesh relation," Denham said.
The Labour Party government in recent years has doubled their development assistance to developing countries despite economic problems at home, he said.
Sylhet Mayor Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran, Richard Gier, international programme manager of the UPPR, and Ali Ahmed, national project director of the UPPR, also spoke while British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Stephan Evans, DFID's Social development Advisor Philippa Thomas were present.
Later the SCC mayor and the British minister signed the MoU.
The UPPR aims at poverty reduction of 30 lakh people, mostly women and girls, living in the six cities and 24 municipalities, speakers said at the meeting.
Sylhet city was included in the project in September last year although it was launched in other areas in July 2007.
The programme will run till March 1025.
The British minister later visited Sylhet regional office of the British High Commission before going to the Moulvibazar district yesterday afternoon.
John Denham, who came on a three-day visit to Bangladesh on Sunday, is scheduled to return to the UK today.