The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

British Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Hazel Blears MP arrives here on Thursday on a two-day visit, her first to Bangladesh in official capacity.

During her visit, Blears seeks to gain a deeper understanding of issues relevant to British-Bangladeshi communities in the UK, including how the UK's bilateral relationship with Bangladesh can be enhanced through community links, and how the British government can work with communities to help prevent extremism.

Blears is expected to meet senior members of the caretaker government, leading members of civil society and the British-Bangladeshi community, as well as visit UK-funded projects on women's empowerment and access to education, said a DFID release.

"People-to-people links-embodied by nearly half a million British Bangladeshis-are at the heart of our countries' relationship," said Blears.