Bangladesh Fully Prepared For Fair, Peaceful Election In February: Yunus Tells US
Yunus Mentioned That The Interim Government Has Stepped Up Efforts To Revive SAARC, Which Has Not Held A Summit In More Than A Decade
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Monday assured the United States that Bangladesh is fully prepared to hold the next national election in the first half of February, with the interim government undertaking “comprehensive preparations” to ensure it is free, fair, and peaceful.
“The election will be held in February. It will be free, fair, and peaceful. The country is fully prepared,” Prof Yunus told US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia and US Ambassador-designate to India Sergio Gor during a meeting.
Sergio Gor praised the Chief Adviser’s leadership and reaffirmed Washington’s readiness to support Bangladesh’s efforts, Deputy Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser Abul Kalam Azad Majumder told UNB.
The discussions covered a broad range of bilateral and regional issues, including trade, South Asian cooperation, the revival of SAARC, the Rohingya crisis, and the spread of disinformation targeting Dhaka.
Prof Yunus appealed for continued US support for over one million Rohingya refugees currently living in camps in Cox’s Bazar. In response, US officials assured that their humanitarian aid for the Rohingyas would continue.
Highlighting regional priorities, Prof Yunus said the interim government has intensified efforts to revive SAARC, which has not held a summit for more than a decade. He also expressed Bangladesh’s interest in joining ASEAN, noting that deeper integration with Southeast Asia could significantly boost the country’s development.
He further stressed the importance of strengthening economic links with landlocked Nepal and Bhutan, as well as with India’s seven Northeastern states. “We can accelerate our economic growth through closer regional cooperation,” he said.
The Chief Adviser also invited Sergio Gor to visit Bangladesh at his earliest convenience.
Prof Yunus arrived in New York on Monday afternoon (local time) at John F. Kennedy International Airport to begin his official visit to attend the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). He was received by Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States Tareq Md Ariful Islam.
He is leading a diverse delegation that includes advisers, senior officials, and political leaders from BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and the National Citizen Party (NCP), in what his deputy press secretary described as a “demonstration of national unity before the world.”
During the UNGA, Prof Yunus will attend several high-level events, including a session on “Social Business, Youth and Technology” organized by the Global Committee on Social Business for Sustainable Development Goals, and the annual SDG dinner and award ceremony.
He is scheduled to deliver Bangladesh’s address at the UNGA on September 26. Later, on September 30, the UN will host for the first time a high-level conference on the situation of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar.
The Chief Adviser is expected to return home on October 2.
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