On Thursday 8 September, British Deputy High Commissioner to Bangladesh Javed Patel hosted a send-off event for the girls’ football team which will shortly represent Bangladesh in the Street Child Football World Cup in Qatar.

The team is comprised of children who were all rescued from life on the streets, and now live at the LEEDO Peace Home in Dhaka.

LEEDO (Local Education and Economic Development Organisation) is a not-for-profit, voluntary-based development organisation founded in 2000. Through the provision of education, shelters, and lifestyle support, LEEDO aims to protect vulnerable street children and help them return to the mainstream community.

During the event, the young guests shared stories of their time living on the street, and appealed to guests to help improve the life chances of other less fortunate children. They were excited about the opportunity to meet two players from the Bangladesh U-19 National Football Team, Most Aklima Khatun and MST Halima Akhther, and talk to the professional players about their upcoming big game. They also showed off their footballing skills, and challenged the British Deputy High Commissioner to a ‘keepy-uppy’ contest!

Mr. Kazi Nabil Ahmed MP, Vice President of the Bangladesh Football Federation, and Mr. Abu Nayeem, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Football Federation, were also present at the event.

British Deputy High Commissioner Javed Patel said:

“Ensuring 12 years of quality education for all children is at the centre of the UK’s drive to tackle poverty, promote gender equality, boost economic growth, and reduce conflict. In Bangladesh, we are investing up to 54.5 million pounds over the next eight years to improve education outcomes for children, particularly girls and marginalised children. I wholly believe that sport is integral to a child’s education, and today we are proud to stand with the girls’ football team that will be representing Bangladesh on the international stage.”

Forhad Hossain, Executive Director of LEEDO said:

“We should all raise our voices together to protect the most vulnerable children from the dangers of the streets so that they can create a better Bangladesh. According to the UNCRC all children have the right to survive with dignity. I want to thank the British High Commission for organising this event with LEEDO.”

Further information

Email: Dhaka.Press@fco.gov.uk

Follow the British High Commissioner to Bangladesh on Twitter: @RCDicksonUK

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However, overall, the deal would not harm the vast majority of shoppers or other businesses.

On 13 July 2022, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched its investigation after the companies submitted the reported £190 million deal for review.

McColl’s operates convenience newsagent shops, with over 1,100 stores across England, Scotland, and Wales, while Morrisons (owned by parent company Clayton, Dubilier & Rice ‘CD&R’) has around 500 grocery stores in the UK. CD&R is also the parent company of the Motor Fuel Group (MFG). MFG owns over 800 convenience stores, the vast majority of which are attached to its petrol stations.

Following its Phase 1 investigation, the CMA has found that the merger between Morrisons and McColl’s raises competition concerns in 35 areas, where McColl’s or MFG convenience stores will face reduced competition if the deal is allowed to go ahead as planned. Weaker competition could lead to higher prices or a lower quality service for the customers in these areas who rely on their local shops for groceries.

During the investigation, the retailers accepted that the merger would raise concerns in some areas and asked the CMA to move straight to a discussion of remedies to address these concerns.

Morrisons now has 5 working days to offer proposals to the CMA to address the competition concerns identified. The CMA would then have a further 5 working days to consider whether to accept these in principle instead of referring the case to a Phase 2 investigation.

Sorcha O’Carroll, CMA Senior Director of Mergers, said:

As the cost of living soars, it’s particularly important that shops are facing proper competition so that customers get the best prices possible when picking up essentials or doing the weekly shop.

While the vast majority of shoppers and other businesses won’t lose out, we’re concerned that the deal could lead to higher prices for people in some areas. If Morrisons and McColl’s can address these concerns, then we won’t need to move on to an in-depth investigation.

In the meantime, we’re working closely with Morrisons to ensure that it can provide the support that McColl’s needs to continue to operate during our investigation.

For more information, visit the Morrisons / McColl’s merger inquiry page.

1. The CMA’s competition concerns relate to 35 local areas
2. The CMA previously investigated CD&R’s purchase of Morrisons and approved the deal subject to the divestment of 87 MFG petrol stations to address competition concerns. This process is ongoing
3. All enquiries from journalists should be directed to the CMA press office by email on press@cma.gov.uk or by phone on 020 3738 6460
4. All enquiries from the general public should be directed to the CMA’s General Enquiries team on general.enquiries@cma.gov.uk or 020 3738 6000

Thank you President. I thank the previous speakers for their briefings, Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo, Assistant Secretary-General Kehris and Ms Oleksandra Drik for their briefings.

As we’ve discussed, today we meet to discuss emerging evidence of further potential Russian violations and abuses of international law.

We are deeply concerned by reporting by the UN, the OSCE and civil society organisations that Russia is systematically detaining, processing and deporting Ukrainian men, women and children, with chilling echoes from European history.

As we have heard, civilians reportedly face interrogation, body searches, stripping, invasive data collection, ill-treatment and torture while passing through ‘filtration’.

Those who are deemed most threatening are reportedly held indefinitely in detention centres, while others, including unaccompanied children, are forcibly deported to Russia. Some simply disappear.

So we call on the Russian Federation to allow the UN and other relevant international organisations immediate, full and unhindered access to those held in filtration camps and detention centres. And for these reports to be fully investigated to ensure those responsible can be held to account.

We are concerned, too, that Russia may in fact be using forced deportations and displacement in an attempt, forcibly, to change the demographic makeup of parts of Ukraine.

What does this tell us about Russia’s war?

First, it tells us about their method and their disregard for the rules that we agreed and observe here at the UN – the collective rules that bind us together. They act as if the Charter and international humanitarian law do not apply to them.

Second, it confirms this is not just an attempt to destroy Ukraine’s democracy, but also Ukrainian identity and culture. Alleged ‘Denazification’ is a cover for ‘de-Ukrainian-isation’ and annexation. Mass movements of Ukrainian people give the game away.

Finally, it confirms what has been abundantly clear over the last six months: Russia’s army is not being welcomed as it enters Ukrainian territory. This is a war of conquest, a war of occupation, a war of oppression, and a war to eliminate Ukraine.

So once again we call on the Russian Federation to observe fully its obligations under international law and to bring an end to its illegal invasion of Ukraine.