Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the progress of the strengthening political participation phase two aid project in Bangladesh.

The last annual review of the Strengthening Political Participation phase 2 (SPP2) Programme was carried out in April 2018. In the first year the project scored an ‘A’ and all programme components were under implementation. The annual review is published on DFID’s web portal and contains recommendations on how to maximise the impact of the programme in an election year. The next review is due by April 2019.

Diplomatic engagement also supports SPP2 goals and activities pushing for inclusive and peaceful elections in Bangladesh and increased tolerance for open debate and dialogue. DFID is still confident that the SPP2 Programme provides critical support to democratic governance in the country and is more relevant than ever in an election year.