British High Commissioner Blake hosts Commonwealth Big Lunch in Dhaka

British High Commissioner Alison Blake has hosted a ‘Commonwealth Big Lunch’ to celebrate the Commonwealth and build connections through sharing food and food for thought.

Speaker of Parliament Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury attended the event at the British high commissioner’s residence in Dhaka on Wednesday as chief guest.

The lunch brought together 150 people including the high commissioners of Malaysia, Brunei, Canada and Sri Lanka, acting high commissioners of Australia and Pakistan, representatives from the universities and education sector, NGOs and civil society, medicine, businesses, Bangladeshi “Queen’s Young Leaders” and “Points of Light” award winner and the British Council’s “Active Citizens”.

The High Commission said the lunch celebrated the diversity and achievement of the Commonwealth and this year’s theme of ‘towards a common future’, with themed discussion of education, business and trade, women empowerment and girl’s education, climate change, health and working children.

The luncheon event was one of a series held across the Commonwealth - launched by the Eden Project in partnership with the UK Government - between Mar 12, Commonwealth Day, and April 22 to mark the 2018 Commonwealth summit being held in London.

The heads of government and their representatives and civil society representatives from 53 countries have gathered in the UK to work together to address shared global challenges.

“The idea behind the Big Lunch is a simple one: to bring together friends and partners to celebrate being part of the Commonwealth, to draw on our diversity, our strengths and our shared values and to enjoy a meal in each other’s company,’ the high commissioner said.

On Tuesday, the British high commissioner hosted an evening reception to celebrate the Birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, in which LGRD Minister Khandker Mosharaf Hossain was the chief guest.