Queen Elizabeth's birthday celebrated in Dhaka

The British High Commission (BHC) celebrated Queens Elizabeth's 96th birthday in the capital with a colourful reception. This year, the event had a special significance as the Queen is celebrating her Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne.

Queen Elizabeth II has ruled for longer than any other monarch in British history, becoming a much loved and respected figure across the globe.

The Platinum Jubilee will be celebrated in the UK over an extended four-day weekend in June while Bangladesh parliament Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury graced the reception in Dhaka as guest of honour on Wednesday evening, reports BSS.

Dr Chaudhury said that Father of Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had laid the foundation of Bangladesh-United Kingdom (UK) relations and Dhaka and London have already marked the 50th anniversary of establishing bilateral relations.

The Speaker expressed gratitude to Queen Elizabeth II for recognizing Bangladesh as an independent state in 1972.

British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson said 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," he said.

Through this contribution, the high commissioner said, they pay tribute to Her Majesty's exemplary devotion to a life of service and celebrate the international cooperation she has championed throughout her reign.

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 while the theme of the event was chosen as "Empowering Girls to Change Their World" In honour of Her Majesty.

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.

The programme is currently providing training to 2,400 young girls in Bangladesh and helping to give them economic opportunities and strengthen their voices.