The Duchess of Edinburgh, Sophie Helen, is set to visit Bangladesh from November 9 to 11, with the Rohingya refugee crisis, women’s empowerment, and UK-Bangladesh relations high on her agenda.

A key part of her three-day visit will be to Cox’s Bazar, where she will meet organizations working with Rohingya refugees and learn about protection services for women, girls and families displaced from Myanmar.

Her engagements will focus on the challenges facing displaced women and children, including access to protection, rehabilitation, and support services. She will also hear about initiatives aimed at strengthening resilience, leadership and opportunities within refugee communities.

According to BSS, the Duchess will also meet Bangladesh President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Prime Minister’s spouse Dr Zubaida Rahman in Dhaka to discuss the welfare, protection and empowerment of women and girls.

Her itinerary includes a visit to the Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation Training (BIPSOT), where she will highlight Bangladesh’s contribution to UN peacekeeping and the importance of women’s participation in peace and security. She will also meet young female athletes at Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (BKSP).

The visit will further mark 75 years of the British Council’s presence in Bangladesh, with engagements involving young people on education, cultural exchange and women’s empowerment.

The Duchess is visiting at the request of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. She last visited Bangladesh in 2017.

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