Published : 08 Nov 2026, 01:23 PM
Updated : 08 Nov 2026, 01:31 PM
The duchess of Edinburgh is set to visit Bangladesh to strengthen the UK-Bangladesh partnership through engagements with communities and organisations, as well as to see firsthand the living conditions of the Rohingya population.
A statement issued by the British Royal Family’s communications office said Sophie would visit Bangladesh from Monday to Wednesday.
Royal Communications said the duchess would meet communities and organisations that demonstrate the strength and breadth of the UK-Bangladesh partnership. She will also visit programmes providing support to the Rohingya population in Bangladesh.
During her visit to Dhaka, Sophie is scheduled to meet President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Prime Minister’s wife Zubaida Rahman, the statement said. Their discussions will focus on shared interests in the welfare, protection and empowerment of women and children.
The duchess will also visit the Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation Training (BIPSOT) to highlight Bangladesh’s significant contribution to UN peacekeeping missions and the importance of women's participation in peace and security.
Her itinerary includes a visit to the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (BKSP), where she will meet young athletes, including female hockey players.
Sophie will also attend an event with young people to mark the 75th anniversary of the British Council's operations in Bangladesh.
She will travel to Cox's Bazar to see the work of organisations supporting Rohingya refugees. There, she will hear firsthand about essential protection and support services for women, children and displaced families.
Royal Communications said the visit was being made at the request of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Sophie previously visited Bangladesh in 2017, when she held the title of Countess of Wessex.
She is the wife of Prince Edward, the younger brother of Britain's King Charles III. Prince Philip, who died in 2021, held the title of Duke of Edinburgh.
Following Queen Elizabeth II's death in 2022, King Charles ascended the throne and conferred his father's title on his younger brother Edward the following year.
