The progress of health and education projects in Bangladesh was top of the agenda for St Albans MP Anne Main who recently led a delegation to the country.

The trip was organised by the Conservative Friends of Bangladesh (CFoB), a group set up by Anne some years ago “to give something back” and help people in poverty in Bangladesh.

She and fellow politicians spent time with UK-based charities and various projects in Sylhet, a city with close links to St Albans, to see how British aid money is being spent in Bangladesh.

Anne said: “We visited a health centre where patients with eye problems were assessed and referred to a specialist. Some of the patients had cataracts that had rendered them blind. The team I was leading funded the treatment of six patients, some of whom were operated on the next day. When we spoke to them afterwards, they described how having their sight back was transformative.”

She added: “It is clear that these projects are targeting those most in need and making a real difference to the lives of some of the poorest children on the planet.”

Anne said that seeing people benefit from various programmes made the trip worthwhile and she is keen to continue helping to improve the lives of “people in desperate need in a country with strong links to the UK”.

There are close ties between St Albans and Bangladesh as there are 5,000 Bangladeshi in the district, the largest such population in Herts.