It's time to negotiate with UK

As the UK opted out of the European Union, foreign affairs experts yesterday stressed the need for immediate talks with the UK on various issues to make sure that Bangladesh gets the same treatment as it used to get during Britain's time in the EU.

Although there would be no immediate changes, the consequences of Brexit would be huge, and competitive trade advantages may be eroded or compromised if Bangladesh fails to start negotiations to maintain status quo until the UK adopts new rules and regulations, experts said.

Talking to The Daily Star, a senior Bangladeshi diplomat in the UK said the British government would start negotiations with the EU only after electing a new prime minister, likely in October.

“Negotiations may take years before the UK interacts with the rest of Europe on trade, common laws and movement of labour. However, things would change ultimately,” he added.

Bangladeshi diplomats in Dhaka and in some Bangladesh missions in Europe said the government and the other authorities concerned have to observe carefully how India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka respond to the changes, because they might gain privileges than what they used to get previously.

It is generally assumed that the UK would maintain status quo for Bangladesh, but it might not be true as countries like India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Hong Kong, special administrative region of China, might get more privileges now, according to the diplomats.

Some politicians and experts argued that Britain won't do anything that might adversely affect Bangladesh. They viewed that the UK in the long run would be better off outside the EU, with full sovereignty and unfettered control over immigration and economic regulations. They were optimistic about easing visa rules for Bangladeshis, immigration and student exchange.

The EU-Bangladesh Cooperation Agreement, concluded in 2001, provides a broad scope for cooperation in the areas of trade and economic development, human rights, good governance and environment.

Bangladesh has been a WTO member since 1995 and it benefits from the EU's Everything but Arms (EBA) arrangement, which grants duty and quota-free access for all exports, except for arms and ammunition.

Immigration had been a key issue in the run-up to the UK referendum.

“The negative vote on EU is a momentous event. It will have many spillover effects into the UK, EU and other parts of the world,” former Bangladesh ambassador to the USA Humayun Kabir told this correspondent yesterday.

He said some procedural challenges might emerge before Bangladesh, but no real substantive problems would be there.

About trade relations, he said Bangladesh's duty-free market access would continue, but the country might have to renegotiate a new trade agreement in place of EBA.

About the probable impact on UK-Bangladesh ties, the former ambassador said Britain's development assistance and security cooperation between the two countries might remain unchanged.

However, if the UK economy plummets or the UK government gets too busy with its domestic challenges, the bilateral ties might see some fluctuations, he added.

About immigration, Kabir said Bangladeshis either having UK work permit or citizenship will face no problem. However, those who recently moved to the UK or planning to relocate there from other EU countries might face tighter immigration regulations.

It is likely that Britain would tighten its immigration regime further, which could affect Bangladeshis planning to visit or stay in the UK for a longer period, he stated.

Diplomatic sources said over the last few years, thousands of Bangladeshis, who are citizens of other EU countries, flocked to the UK to settle there.

However, they said there is no definite word yet from Brexiteers about what would happen to other EU nationals living in Britain.

On the other hand, the British curry industry, overwhelmingly dominated by Bangladeshis, has been a big Brexit backer. Bangladesh caterers association officially backed the Leave campaign.

For quite sometime, they said the sector has been reeling from huge shortage of skilled curry chefs due to ever stringent immigration rules which have virtually stopped recruitment from Bangladesh.

They are now looking for a break on free labour movement from EU countries which would lead to easing of recruitment from Bangladesh. But there is fear that the void might be filled with people from Pakistan and India.