Dhaka:British Council Chief Executive Scott McDonald has arrived in Bangladesh for a three-day visit aimed at enhancing the longstanding relations between Bangladesh and the United Kingdom. This visit, from September 29 to October 1, focuses on education, English language, arts and culture, and creating opportunities for young people.
According to United News of Bangladesh, McDonald is scheduled to visit Dhaka and Rajshahi, where he will meet government representatives, education leaders, teachers, students, and cultural partners. His agenda includes discussions on UK-Bangladesh cooperation in education reform, school system strengthening, higher education, and cultural exchange.
On his first day, McDonald met with Dr. A N M Ehsanul Hoque Milon, Minister of Education and Minister of Primary and Mass Education, to discuss educational priorities and UK-Bangladesh collaboration opportunities. He also engaged with 10 Minute School representatives to explore expanding English language learning and internationally recognized assessment.
McDonald attended the 'Connecting People, Sharing Impact British Council Grantee and UK Alumni Showcase,' where alumni and grantees shared their contributions to UK-Bangladesh connections and knowledge exchange.
Expressing his sentiments about the visit, McDonald highlighted the British Council's long history in Bangladesh since 1951 and its deep connections through education and culture. He emphasized Bangladesh€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬¦¾¢s ambition and dynamic young population, expressing interest in building on existing partnerships to create more learning and collaboration opportunities between the two nations.
In Rajshahi, McDonald will meet with teachers, students, and cultural organizations involved in British Council programs. He will visit Helenabad Government Primary School to launch the British Council€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬¦¾¢s English Teachers Needs for Professional Development Analysis Report, based on research involving 641 teachers and 32 classrooms across Bangladesh.
McDonald will also engage with Project Headway leadership to discuss collaboration in IELTS and English-language assessment. At the Varendra Research Museum, he will observe the impact of a Cultural Protection Fund partnership with Durham University.
In addition, McDonald will witness the achievements of the Youth Connect Digital Citizenship and Misinformation Resilience project, which has trained 120 young people from Rajshahi University and Varendra University. He will also attend a theater performance at Rajshahi Zilla Shilpakala Academy supported by the British Council's Women of the World Grants Programme.
The visit will conclude in Dhaka with a focus on higher education and international partnerships, including the Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HEAT) partnership and the British Council Partner Schools Principal's Meet 2026.