British High Commission celebrates Queen’s Birthday in Dhaka and vows to boost girls’ life chances

Bangla sanglap desk:
The British High Commission Dhaka hosted its annual Queen’s Birthday Party (QBP) on 25 May
2022, after a gap of two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This year, the event had a special
significance as The Queen is celebrating her Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne.
Her Majesty The Queen has ruled for longer than any other monarch in British history, becoming a
much loved and respected figure across the globe. The Jubilee is a central element of an exciting
year of UK culture and creativity, including the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and the
BBC’s Centenary. The Platinum Jubilee will be celebrated in the UK over an extended four-day
weekend in June.
Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, MP, Hon'ble Speaker, Bangladesh Parliament, graced the reception
as guest of honour. A wide range of dignitaries from the Government of Bangladesh; representatives
from Commonwealth nations, OECD and EU countries; and leaders from the fields of business,
trade, social development, academia, arts, culture, media and sports joined the celebration.
In honour of Her Majesty, the theme of the event was Empowering Girls to Change Their World. The
British High Commission invited girls and young women from across Bangladesh to join the party and
introduce themselves to guests, sharing their dreams for the future. A significant portion of the
sponsorship raised for the event will be used to support girls’ education across Bangladesh through
the British Council’s EDGE Programme.
EDGE, standing for English and Digital for Girls’ Education, is designed to help adolescent
Bangladeshi girls to receive capacity building, career counselling, mentorship, language skills, digital
navigation skills and, importantly, how to protect themselves from child marriage, cyber bullying,
gender-based harassment and intimidation. Launched in September 2021, the new phase of the
programme aims to improve life skills for out-of-school and marginalised adolescent girls and build
their self-confidence to enable them to have a greater say in their futures. The programme is
currently providing training to 2,400 young girls in Bangladesh and helping to give them economic
opportunities and strengthen their voices.
Robert Chatterton Dickson, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, said:
“I am thrilled to welcome our friends in Bangladesh to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s birthday
and Platinum Jubilee marking her 70 year reign – a unique milestone. Her Majesty has been an
incredible source of strength for the UK and the Commonwealth through a period of enormous
change.
“Today, thanks to the generosity of our partners, we are making a donation to further the causes of
girls’ education and women’s empowerment in Bangladesh. Through this contribution we pay tribute