Forming a friendship link with Bangladesh

The Rochdale delegation to Sylhet meet the mayor Mr Badar Uddin Kamran.

A delegation led by the Mayor of Rochdale, Councillor Keith Swift and Councillor Farooq Ahmed recently visited Dhaka and Sylhet in Bangladesh.

The exploratory visit included meeting with the British High Commissioner in Dhaka, as well as visiting the Parliament where the delegation met the Speaker of the House, National Monuments in Dhaka, then BRAC (the worlds largest NGO) in Habigonj followed by a jam packed programme in the Sylhet district.

The visit also included visiting schools, universities and hospitials.

The Mayor of Sylhet, Mr Badar Uddin Kamran and Councillor Swift signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Rochdale and Sylhet to form a “Friendship Link”.

The exploratory visit was arranged by The Rochdale Bangladeshi Partnership Project (RBPP).

Mohammed Dobir Miah, secretary of RBPP, said: “This visit has truly been a memorable experience and the beginning of our friendship with the people of Sylhet, as most of the Bangladeshis living in Rochdale have some connections there.

"We hope to showcase our findings and experience in the coming weeks so that the whole community can learn and share about Bangladesh.

"We are ever so grateful to all the institutions in Bangladesh who have helped us throughout our visit; we owe a special mention to Biswanath Press Club and the British High Commission in Dhaka, without whom we would have struggled to do so much. On behalf of the Rochdale Bangladeshi Partnership Project I would like to thank the people of Bangladesh – who made us feel so special, we truly cannot repay them for their wonderful hospitality and welcome.

“Can I also extend my thanks to all the people involved with RBPP and a special thanks to Councillor Keith Swift and Councillor Farooq Ahmed for taking time out and joining us on this historic visit.”

Councillor Swift added: “The exploratory visit was truly an amazing experience – to see first hand how Bangladesh is developing and the gap between the rich and the poor. We were staying in a 5 star hotel with everything you could dream of but we could see the scale of poverty just outside. I am really glad that I opted to go on this visit. I will be working closely with the Rochdale Bangladeshi Partnership Project to ensure we can fully establish a working friendship link”

Councillor Farooq Ahmed said: “Although I was born and bread in Rochdale, I have relatives in Bangladesh. The last time I visited Bangladesh was 13 years ago and I am really impressed with the developments since then.

"I know that there is a lot that still needs to be done, and I hope now that we have extended our hand of friendship with the people of Sylhet – we can work together in helping Sylhet and its inhabitants to a decent standard of life.

"I will be working closely with the Rochdale Bangladeshi Partnership Project to deliver projects and I hope the whole community will support us in our efforts.”

The Rochdale Bangladeshi Partnership Project is now arranging a number of events to showcase its findings to members of the public, the council and other interested parties. The Rochdale Bangladeshi Partnership Project will then work on the next phase of the friendship link; which will include the Mayor of Sylhet leading a delegation to visit Rochdale later this year.

The Rochdale Bangladeshi Partnership Project has also agreed to fund a post for a Careers Advisor in Sylhet. The Sylhet Careers Service will work with schools, colleges, universities and other organisations to provide information, advice and support to all young people between the ages of 13 and 25 years (including those with learning difficulties and disabilities).