Bangladesh mission in London awards British-Bangladeshi students for outstanding results

The Bangladesh High Commission in London has awarded some British-Bangladeshi students who have achieved outstanding results in the 2015 GCSE and A Level examinations.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 12 March 2016, 06:41 PM
Updated : 12 March 2016, 06:54 PM

The ceremony at the Kensington Town Hall in Central London on Saturday drew high-profile guests that include British ministers and MPs.

A total of 127 students who achieved at least 10 A/A* in GCSE and 3 A/A* were awarded with crests and certificates, the High Commission says.

State Minister for DFID, UK aid, Desmond Sawyne expressed his great satisfaction at the “astounding” academic success of British-Bangladeshi students.

He hoped that future leaders of the UK would come from among these students.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office State Minister Hugo Swire, who could not attend the programme, sent a message to be read out on the occasion.

Under Secretary of State Baroness Verma, Lord Sheikh, MP Paul Scully, Member of the European Parliament Jean Lambert, Speaker of Tower Hamlet Council Abdul Mukit, and eminent Bangladeshi journalist Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury were also present among the guests.

High Commissioner Abdul Hannan and the special guests handed over the awards to the students.

For the tenth year, the High Commission has awarded British-Bangladeshi students for their academic feats.

The High Commissioner said this was “to recognise the academic excellence of the British-Bangladeshi students who have made Bangladesh proud and elevated the image of the Bangladeshi community in the UK”.

He hoped that these young boys and girls will lead in their respective fields in future and their success will inspire the succeeding generations of the diaspora for “even better achievements”.

He urged the students to maintain close links with their lineage and nurture their cultural inheritance.

The High Commissioner also highlighted Bangladesh’s socio-economic progresses and said the country was well on course to become a middle-income country by 2021 under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

He said a prosperous Bangladesh would be “a matter of greater pride for the students and their parents”.

Head Teacher of East London's Mulberry Girls' School Vanessa Ogden, in her speech, admired the students and their parents for their diligence towards academic excellence.

A total of 18 students received awards from Mulberry School which predominantly has students of Bangladeshi origin.

A cultural programme was also held to showcase the rich heritage of Bangladesh.

About 500 people including leaders of the community, business, and media attended the ceremony, apart from the awardees and their parents.