Bangladeshi national receives honorary British award

British high commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke presented the Insignia of an honorary member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) to Shehlina Ahmed, a former British High Commission Dhaka employee.

Shehlina Ahmed was announced as a recipient of the award in 2022 for services to health sector development in Bangladesh. The insignia was presented at a ceremony held at the Residence of the British High Commissioner in Dhaka on 31 January 2024.

Shehlina Ahmed received the honorary MBE for her excellent work from 2009 to 2021 to lead the UK Government’s work in Bangladesh to support improvements in the health sector.

Throughout her 13-year career with the then UK Department for International Development (DFID) and British High Commission, Dhaka, Ahmed displayed exceptional commitment to delivering effective UK aid to improve the lives of poor and excluded people in Bangladesh. Her contribution is widely recognised across the health sector in the country.

British high commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke said, “I am pleased to present the award to Shehlina Ahmed on behalf of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. I had the pleasure to work with Ahmed in my previous role and witnessed her excellent work. She has played an exemplary role to help transform Bangladesh’s health sector and strengthen the ties between our two great countries. I congratulate her on receiving this prestigious honorary award.”