Introduction

The British High Commission in Dhaka represents the UK Government in Bangladesh and promotes UK policy overseas.  

Various UK Government Departments are represented at the High Commission, the largest of which is the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), headed by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the Rt Hon David Miliband MP.  The FCO, whose mission statement is ‘Better Britain, Better World’, has four main overseas policy objectives which can be summarised as:

• To counter terrorism, weapons proliferation and their causes
• To prevent and resolve conflict
• To promote a low carbon, high growth, global economy
• To develop effective international institutions.

Additionally, the High Commission operates services that:

• Support the British economy
• Support British nationals abroad
• Support managed migration for Britain.

What is a High Commission?

A High Commission is the diplomatic mission of one Commonwealth country in another. An embassy is the equivalent in a non-Commonwealth country.

What is the role of a British High Commission/Embassy?

We are a service and advice organisation, and are one of 221 British diplomatic missions worldwide, responsible to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the Rt Hon David Miliband MP. He and other FCO ministers work in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London.

Our Mission Statement

Our mission is to maintain and develop close and co-operative relations between Britain and Bangladesh, and to make Britain the partner of choice for Bangladesh, in accordance with British Government policies.

FCO Mission Statement

• to enhance the security of the United Kingdom and the Dependent Territories
• to promote their prosperity
• to promote and protect British influence and interests overseas
• and to protect British nationals abroad

For the first time the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has published a comprehensive Strategy describing the UK's international priorities over the next ten years and the FCO's role in achieving them.