US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Bangladesh Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus in New York on Thursday. Their discussions focused on advancing long-term economic and political collaborations between the US and Bangladesh.
Sharing pictures of Blinken with Yunus on X, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, “Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and US State Department Secretary Antony Blinken had fruitful discussions on advancing Bangladesh-USA ties, deepening long-term economic-political engagements in shared interests.”
HSBC’s Increased Involvement in Bangladesh
Yunus also met with Noel Quinn, CEO of HSBC Global, to discuss the bank’s increased involvement in energy, trade financing, and startups in Bangladesh.
Sharing on X, Yunus wrote, “HSBC Global CEO Noel Quinn met with Bangladesh Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus in New York to discuss the bank’s increased involvement in energy, trade financing, and startups in Bangladesh.”
Call for Rohingya Repatriation
Earlier on Tuesday, Yunus called for the repatriation of Rohingyas amid the “deteriorating” security situation in Bangladesh during a high-level meeting.
At the UN event focused on the Rohingya crisis, Yunus highlighted the significant challenges that Bangladesh faces due to the presence of over 1.2 million displaced Rohingyas from Myanmar. He pointed out that while Bangladesh has shown empathy in hosting the Rohingyas, the associated costs—social, economic, and environmental—are considerable. He emphasized that Bangladesh has reached its limits, adding that repatriation remains the only sustainable solution to the ongoing crisis.
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Political Changes in Bangladesh
Following the recent political upheaval, with Sheikh Hasina resigning amid mounting protests on August 5, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took charge of the interim government. The protests were primarily led by students demanding an end to the quota system for government jobs.
A day after Hasina resigned as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister and left the country, President Mohammed Shahabuddin announced the dissolution of the parliament to facilitate the formation of an interim administration. Yunus was sworn in on August 8 as the head of the interim government.
Upcoming Engagements at UNGA
This visit marks Muhammad Yunus‘s first trip to the United States as the head of the interim government. According to the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yunus has a series of high-profile meetings lined up on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA). He is set to address the general debate of the UNGA on September 27.
(WITH INPUTS FROM ANI)
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