The UK government has praised Bangladesh as a “development success story” in a report around its handling of the Rohingya crisis from neighbouring Myanmar.


The House of Commons International Development Committee on Tuesday noted the country’s achievement of the majority of the Millennium Development Goals and achieving Lower Middle-Income status after sustaining an average annual growth of more than 6 per cent over the last 10 years and 7.3 per cent in 2016–17 as solid indicators of growth.
It also highlights the halving of poverty levels between 1990 and 2010, a marked rise in female employment and other recent improvements measured by the Global Human Development Index as signs of development activity.
The cross-party group of British MPs from the committee, which oversees the work of the country’s Department for International Development (DfID), however, flagged the Rohingya crisis as an “external shock” on this journey of development.
“Significant challenges remain, both in terms of some weaknesses and fault-lines in the overall picture and potential fragility in the face of external ‘shocks’ — such as the arrival of a traumatised Rohingya community expelled by Burma as well as Bangladesh’s well-evidenced vulnerability to natural disasters,” says the report released on Tuesday.
It stresses that the Rohingya crisis, which saw thousands of people from Mynamar fleeing from persecution to camps in Bangladesh, is a challenge that needs to be tackled at a global level.
“Bangladesh is to be thanked and commended for opening its borders to these refugees fleeing violent persecution in Burma. Bangladesh needs to face up to the requirement for a long-term solution and, the international community should provide the required resources,” it adds.
In its conclusion, the committee resolved to continue DfID’s work in Bangladesh, which is on a “welcome overall trajectory” and the UK as a "longstanding ally, critical friend and partner" has made a contribution to this direction of travel.
However, it added a caveat for Bangladesh to ensure the fair and peaceful conduct of the forthcoming elections and the relaxing of the space for debate and criticism between and from all the elements of civil society.