United News of Bangladesh

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman met Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Thursday, marking his first high-profile engagement in Bangladesh since returning on December 25. Tarique Rahman left the state guest house Jamuna for his Gulshan residence around 9:10pm following the courtesy call-on with Prof Yunus. Tarique Rahman at Jamuna with family to meet Prof Yunus Earlier, Tarique Rahman arrived at Jamuna, the official residence of Prof Yunus, with his family at around 7:30pm. Tarique left the BNP chairperson’s office in Gulshan at 6:42pm and went to his residence, from where he departed for Jamuna with his family at 6:52pm. Tarique was accompanied by his wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman, and their daughter, Barrister Zaima Rahman. They spent more than an hour with Prof. Yunus and his daughter, Deena Yunus, during which members of both families exchanged warm greetings and pleasantries. The two last met in person on June 13 last year in London during Prof Yunus’ visit to the UK. That meeting took place at the Dorchester Hotel, when Tarique Rahman was serving as BNP’s acting chairman, and was followed by a joint statement from representatives of both sides. After spending 17 years in exile in the UK, Tarique returned to Bangladesh on December 25. BNP seeks candidates’ names, symbols on postal ballots Upon arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, he spoke with Prof Yunus over the phone while waiting at the VIP lounge. A brief interaction between the two also took place on December 31 during the namaz-e-janaza of BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia at the Jatiya Sangsad complex, following her death on December 30. Tarique Rahman was elected BNP chairman on January 9 through a unanimous decision of the party’s highest policymaking body, the National Standing Committee. Thursday’s meeting marks his first engagement with the Chief Adviser in his capacity as BNP chairman.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday said the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) must remain a strong and profitable institution, stressing the need to expand its fleet and further strengthen its financial capacity. “BSC should maintain the profitable status it has achieved in recent years. Future plans should focus on strengthening the institution through its own income and expanding the fleet by adding new ships,” he said while speaking at a cheque handover ceremony at the State Guest House Jamuna. Prof Yunus said the addition of more ships to the BSC fleet would boost morale among sailors and create new employment opportunities. He also emphasised retaining instructors at marine academies with appropriate honorariums to ensure the production of world-class seafarers. Plans are underway to acquire several ships, including four new large vessels (mother vessels) from China on a government-to-government (G2G) basis, according to the Chief Adviser’s press wing. Big move! BSC to procure 22 new mother vessels The BSC earned the highest-ever profit of Tk 306.56 crore in the last fiscal year, generating around Tk 800 crore in revenue—an unprecedented achievement in its 54-year history. The Press Wing said that the five ships added to the fleet under the recent project have played a significant role in BSC’s continued progress. Following the Chief Adviser’s directives, BSC has already taken steps to acquire additional vessels. The first ship, Banglar Pragati, acquired under the corporation’s self-financed two bulk carrier project, was delivered and deployed in trade on October 28, 2025 and the second ship, Banglar Navajatra, is scheduled for delivery on January 30, 2026. Meanwhile, the process of acquiring two MR product oil tankers with government funding and one Ultramax bulk carrier with private funding is ongoing. At the ceremony, the Chief Adviser received a cheque amounting to Tk 203.47 crore, representing dividends declared for the fiscal year 2024–2025 and installments payable under the Subsidiary Loan Agreement (SLA) for repayment of loans taken for six ship-purchase projects implemented by BSC under the Ministry of Shipping. Shipping Adviser M Sakhawat Hossain and BSC Managing Director Commodore Mahmudul Malek handed over the cheque. Commodore Mahmudul Malek said that a Loan Agreement (LA) was signed on October 14, 2016, between the Government of Bangladesh (Economic Relations Division) and the Government of China (China Exim Bank) for the project titled “Purchase of Six New Ships”. The project included the acquisition of three product oil tankers of approximately 39,000 DWT each and three bulk carriers on a G2G basis for BSC. The principal loan amount was 1,199,999,070 yuan, equivalent to Tk 1,457.68 crore. Subsequently, a Subsidiary Loan Agreement (SLA) was signed between the Finance Division and BSC on October 27, 2024, to facilitate loan repayment. Under this agreement, BSC will pay a total of Tk 2,425.02 crore to the Government of Bangladesh over a period of 13 years. Self-financed ship procurement deal a major step for BSC: Adviser Sakhawat As per the SLA, the total interest amount accrued during the grace period stood at Tk 475.25 crore, for which a cheque was officially handed over to the Chief Adviser on November 26, 2024. After a gap of 27 years without any new ship procurement, six commercial vessels were added to the BSC fleet during the 2018–19 period. Of these, five vessels—M.V. Banglar Joyjatra, M.V. Banglar Arjan, M.T. Banglar Agrajatra, M.T. Banglar Agradut, and M.T. Banglar Agragati—are currently engaged in international commercial cargo operations and proudly flying the national flag of Bangladesh.  

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday described South Asia as ‘one family’ and urged countries in the region to work together and learn from each other, calling upon all to come out from the education system which is mostly job oriented. "So, you're in the right place and see what it means to our region. Our region is a one totality. It's not a piece that doesn't fit into the picture. It is a one whole picture. We work together. We learn from each other. We are a family," he said. "So, we have to rediscover ourselves. I hope it will mean something to you," he said while speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural session of the three-day 'South Asian Regional Conference on State of Higher Education and Future Pathway' in Dhaka. Prof Yunus said the education system in this region is job-oriented. "If he or she (student) fails to take a job, we think failure on the part of the student, not us." "Why would you design a job-oriented education? That you have to have a degree to go to the job market?" Prof Yunus said his position has always been that human beings are not born as slaves and each human being is a free person. "Job comes from the tradition of slavery. You slave for somebody. You don't like the job but you do it because they pay you. That's slavery. My lonely voice says that human beings are born as creative beings. That's why we survived on this planet as a creative being. From the very day we are born, we are creative. Even as a baby, we are creative. Creativity is the essence of human beings," said the Chief Adviser. Read More: Australian Education Expo 2026 held in Dhaka  Prof Yunus said a job takes away creativity. "You take orders. That's slavery." These young people who marched on the street,they refused to be slaves and refused to take orders, he said, noting that "And that's where the conflict began." "So, what kind of education will you be giving?" Prof Yunus asked. "You may dismiss it. You may pause for a while. But this is my point. Should we continue this education to create slaves? Turning creative beings into slaves? That's a criminal job," Prof Yunus said. So, Prof Yunus said, he translated that creativity into entrepreneurship. "Entrepreneurship is a creative thing. Why can’t we teach entrepreneurs rather than job seekers? Tell young people you are not job seekers, you are job creators. You are agents of change. You create things the way you imagine," he said, adding that imagination is the essence of human beings. Prof Yunus said human beings are not born to be practical but they are born with an enormous power of imagination. "That's what drives them, makes them fall crazy. That's why they gave lives to imagination. They had nothing on the street. They had an imagination. We want to build a new Bangladesh. That's our slogan. And they were committed to it, and didn't give up." The Chief Adviser urged the academics to align the education system with the youths’ expectations and aspirations. He stressed on revival of the SAARC to enhance regional academic cooperation. Organizing such gatherings was part of the responsibility under the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the Chief Adviser said. "SAARC as a word has been forgotten and that's a shame on us," Prof Yunus said. “I am repeatedly reminding that we must get back to SAARC. That's where our family belongs. And I will not give up repeating that appeal to the governments of the region,” Prof Yunus said. Speaking about the upcoming national elections and the referendum on February 12, he said the uprising tore everything apart and the young people created their own July Charter to undo what the country was stuck with. Read More: Infrastructure, education projects worth over Tk 190cr get govt nod The Chief Adviser said there would be a referendum to decide what the future constitution of Bangladesh should be, because they believed the root of the problems lay in the constitution. He noted that these issues were not taught in classrooms and questioned where universities stood in this reality. “Today, I feel very excited that academics at the highest level could get together in Dhaka. It's important that this is Dhaka. I hope you will have a chance to kind of review the things that have happened in Dhaka in the past few months,” he said, referring to post 2024 July Uprising events in Bangladesh. Prof Yunus said review of those events will clarify what university education and education as a whole are really about adding, this should be the core subject of discussion at the gathering. Highlighting the role of students in the 2024uprising, he said, “Who are these young people that we are dealing with? They have their own mind. They stood up and raised their voices and brought down the ugliest fascist regime you could ever think of given their lives”. “It would be a missed opportunity if you don’t spend some time on understanding what they did a few months back in this very city. What was their expectation? What was their aspiration? Why did they standup in front of guns and give their lives knowingly it will happen,” the Chief Adviser said. To reflect the students’ motivation behind joining the uprising, he referred to school student Shaheed Shahriar Khan Anas’s letter, which he wrote to his mother before embracing the martyrdom, it was his duty to take the street with his friends who were subjected to state-sponsored crackdown. Noting that the event was not a sudden outburst, Prof Yunus said it happened in Sri Lanka and in Nepal, but it happened in a big way in Dhaka. Speaking about the conference, he thanked the World Bank for organising the gathering, saying, “This was our responsibility to organise, but we failed. The World Bank has to step in to make it happen”. He called on educators to reflect on what education and university education should be in this very different world, warning that old ways of doing things are self-destructing and that change must happen quickly, just as the youth acted quickly during the July and August uprising. “So this is one issue, I hope this will be taken up seriously in this gathering in this discussion where we are, what is being missed, how we can run and be in the front, rather than falling behind,” the Chief Adviser said. A total of 30 international representatives, including delegates from the United Kingdom, the Maldives, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka as well as representatives from the World Bank are participating in the event. The conference is being organised under the Bangladesh government and World Bank funded Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HEAT) Project of the University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh. Education Adviser Dr CR Abrar addressed the inaugural ceremony as special guest with UGC Chairman Prof Dr SMAFaiz in the chair. Secondary and Higher Education Division Secretary Rehana Perven and World Bank Division Director Jean Pesme spoke at the function as guests of honor while UGC Member Professor Dr Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan delivered the welcome address.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Sunday said he would focus primarily on three areas - digital healthcare development, youth entrepreneurs development and ‘Three Zero’ agenda as part of his post-election work. He conveyed this to Akie Abe, head of Foundation for Encouragement of Social Contribution and wife of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, when she wanted to know about the Chief Adviser's plans and priorities for the period following Bangladesh's national election scheduled for February 12. The meeting was held at the State Guest House Jamuna. Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder briefed the media about the meeting at the Foreign Service Academy. Akie Abe is currently visiting Bangladesh leading a delegation over work of her foundation. Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated in July, 2022. During the meeting, Prof Yunus recalled his warm and sincere relationship he had shared with her husband Shinzo Abe. As Akie Abe wanted to know about the Chief Adviser's plans and priorities for the period after the national election of Bangladesh, Azad said Prof Yunus explained that his post-election work would focus primarily on three areas. Prof Yunus will work on digital healthcare development so that women and vulnerable groups in the country can gain greater access to the healthcare system. He would also work so that expatriate Bangladeshis could stay informed about their family members' health conditions through a digital platform and provide necessary advice and support. Prof will continue his longstanding work on youth development, particularly in nurturing young entrepreneurs. The Chief Adviser said, he will continue his ongoing work related to the "Three Zero" agenda, which he has been pursuing previously. Prof Yunus also informed Akie Abe that, following the election on February 12, he is scheduled to visit Japan in the third week of March at the invitation of the Sasakawa Foundation. Prof Yunus urges joint research to explore marine resources During the visit, he will participate in a conference organised by the foundation, which conducts research on various issues, particularly ocean research. Prof Yunus said, during his visit, he will also discuss ways to enhance collaboration between Bangladesh and the foundation in these areas.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday said SAARC must be revived at any cost, as the presence of high-level dignitaries from member states at the funeral of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia proves the regional body’s spirit is still alive. “He (Prof Yunus) conveyed the same message to all of them (foreign dignitaries). He said SAARC needs to be revived at any cost,” Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam told reporters at a media briefing at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital on Thursday. Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder and Senior Assistant Press Secretary Foyez Ahammad also spoke at the briefing. Alam said the foreign dignitaries, representing Pakistan, Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka, met the Chief Adviser at state guesthouse Jamuna on Wednesday and Thursday. “They were overwhelmed to see such a huge funeral ceremony,” said the Press Secretary, mentioning that they appreciated the arrangements for conducting it nicely. Sayedur Rahman reappointed as CA’s Special Assistant Quoting the Chief Adviser, the Press Secretary said the spirit of the SAARC is alive and well and this spirit needs to be maintained. The SAARC was established with the signing of the SAARC Charter in Dhaka on 8 December 1985. SAARC comprises eight Member States: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The Secretariat of the Association was set up in Kathmandu on 17 January 1987. South Asian nations’ gesture highlights Khaleda’s respect, stature: Foreign Adviser Earlier, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain said it was a 'positive gesture' from the South Asian countries towards former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia who earned a kind of accessibility, respect and dignity among people at home and in South Asia. "I think it's a very good gesture from all. All (South Asian countries) realise and recognise this (positive image set by Begum Zia)," he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday. Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Speaker of the Pakistan National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Nepal’s Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma, Bhutan’s Foreign Minister DN Dhungyel, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism of Sri Lanka Vijitha Herath and Minister of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development of the Maldives Dr Ali Haidar Ahmed were among the foreign dignitaries who attended the funeral programme of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and paid respects to her. E-cigarettes, emerging tobacco products fully banned in Bangladesh Asked about his conversation with Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar, Adviser Hossain said, "I tell you, we didn't have such a one-to-one meeting. That scope was not there. Other dignitaries were there. I would say it's a courtesy that all maintain. No bilateral issues were discussed." Law Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul and National Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman met the dignitaries on Wednesday. The dignitaries arrived in Dhaka to pay last respects to former Prime Minister and national leader Khaleda Zia, who passed away on Tuesday. The advisers expressed their gratitude to the visiting dignitaries for their presence and showing solidarity with the people of Bangladesh during this time of national mourning, said Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder. BNP Chairperson and three-time former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia was laid to rest beside her husband and late President Ziaur Rahman at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital on Wednesday afternoon. Substandard bearing, faulty design behind Dhaka metro rail accident: Adviser She was buried around 4:30 pm with state honour following her namaz-e-janaza at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. Members of her family, high-ranking state officials, government authorities, foreign guests, diplomats and BNP-nominated politicians were present. Khaleda Zia was given a guard of honour under the supervision of the President Guard Regiment (PGR) before her burial. On behalf of Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, his Military Secretary, Major General Abul Hasnat Mohammad Tariq, placed a wreath at the grave of Khaleda Zia.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus has reaffirmed his government’s commitment to holding ‘free, fair, and peaceful’ elections, adding that full preparations are underway to ensure the success of both the parliamentary elections and the referendum. “We are fully prepared,” Prof Yunus said, adding that any attempts to disrupt peace ahead of the elections would be dealt with firmly. The Chief Adviser made the remarks when Chargé d’Affaires of the United States to Bangladesh Ambassador Tracey Ann Jacobson on Monday paid a farewell call on him at the State Guest House Jamuna. During the meeting, they discussed the upcoming February parliamentary elections and referendum, as well as trade, civil aviation, labour reforms initiated by the Interim Government, and overall bilateral relations between the two countries. Prof Yunus welcomes growing Bangladesh-Pakistan engagement Jacobson, who is returning home after an eventful year in Bangladesh, appreciated the leadership of the Chief Adviser over the past 17 months and reiterated the support of the United States government for the February elections, said the Chief Adviser’s press wing on Monday. The US Chargé d’Affaires lauded the reforms undertaken by the Interim Government and, in particular, praised the ‘truly remarkable and extraordinary’ labour laws, saying they would help attract greater foreign direct investment to Bangladesh. She also commended the Interim Government for withdrawing 45 of the 46 cases that had been filed against the country’s labour leaders under previous governments. In response, the Chief Adviser described the new labour ordinance as an ‘excellent piece of legislation’, adding that leading Bangladeshi labour activists have publicly welcomed the reforms and the ratification of International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions by the Interim Government. Election to be held on time, Prof Yunus tells US Special Envoy They also discussed funding for Rohingya humanitarian assistance. The Chief Adviser thanked the United States for continued support for the Rohingyas. "The United States remains the single largest donor to life-saving humanitarian aid for more than one million forcibly displaced Rohingya living in camps in southeastern Bangladesh," said Prof Yunus, expressing the hope that such support will continue in the future.   The Chief Adviser thanked the US Chargé d’Affaires for her “critical work” during her year-long tenure and for being a ‘friend to Bangladesh’ and extended an invitation to her to visit in future. National Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman and SDGs Affairs Principal Coordinator and Senior Secretary Lamiya Morshed were also present at the meeting.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, also chairman of the National Cyber Security Council, on Sunday said the government needs to strengthen its technological capacity ahead of the national election and take strict action against all forms of cybercrime. The Chief Adviser directed the National Cyber Security Agency to ensure robust cyber security ahead of the upcoming parliamentary election and referendum. The directive came at a meeting of the National Cyber Security Council held at the State Guest house Jamuna with the Chief Adviser in the chair. He said the government is working to bring all citizen services on online platforms and many services are already being delivered digitally at home and abroad. To ensure these services remain secure and uninterrupted, the Chief Adviser said, strengthening cyber security is essential. Professor Yunus instructed the authorities concerned to give special priority to sectors providing citizen services. “Institutions including the Cyber Security Agency that adopt cyber security measures must regularly update their software and hardware, while the personnel involved must also be made more skilled.” Institutions and related personnel should be brought under a rating system so that proper evaluation of cyber security and overall performance becomes easier, he said. Prof Yunus directed the National Cyber Security Agency to play an effective role alongside the judiciary to ensure that no one involved in crimes in the financial sector goes unpunished. At the meeting, Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant for the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb i said 35 institutions have already been listed as Critical Information Infrastructure and suggested including more institutions in the list. He stressed the importance of coordination between the National Cyber Security Agency and the BTRC to prevent rumours, misinformation, disinformation and other cybercrimes surrounding the upcoming election. Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur said various measures have already been taken to further strengthen cyber security in the banking sector and more initiatives are in the pipeline. He also praised the initiative to form sectoral Computer Emergency Response Teams. Member Secretary of the National Cyber Security Council and Director General of the National Cyber Security Agency Dr Md Tayebur Rahman presented the agency’s activities and future action plans through a PowerPoint presentation. He also detailed the ‘Cyber Incident Reporting and Response System’ designed for receiving complaints of cybercrimes and processing them. Others present at the meeting included Law Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul, ICT Secretary Shish Haider Chowdhury, Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam and National Board of Revenue Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan. Following the promulgation of the Cyber Security Ordinance 2025 on May 21, the National Cyber Security Council was formed on August 26 to ensure cyber security for state institutions and citizens under the amended ordinance.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Thursday urged senior police officers to uphold their highest level of responsibility and sincerity as the country moves toward what he described as a ‘historic, festive and peaceful’ national election, one that will go beyond the ‘traditional’ election. “This is not an ordinary election. It will be a post-uprising election, different from all traditional elections. Through this election, a new Bangladesh will emerge,” he said, underscoring the importance of the next three months. Prof Yunus made the remarks while addressing the Superintendents of Police (SPs) from all 64 districts, along with other senior police officials, at the Chief Adviser’s Office. The national election is scheduled to be held in the first half of February next year.Speaking about the role of SPs in ensuring a festive and peaceful election environment, Prof Yunus stressed the need for carrying out duties with utmost precision and without mistakes. He said the government is committed to building a stronger institutional structure, one that will never falter. Prof Yunus also briefly reflected on previous controversial elections, mentioning that the police have the opportunity to help bring about positive change by acting without bias.“It is a historic responsibility,” the Chief Adviser added. Prof Yunus called on the SPs to play a role in holding an acceptable election, pointing out that the next election is a historic responsibility for everyone and encouraged them to take the responsibility as a challenge. He said through the uprising they dreamt of a new Bangladesh, and through the upcoming election, they aim to carry that dream forward. Prof Yunus said a referendum will also be held simultaneously during the upcoming general election, which will serve as the basis for building the Bangladesh of the future. Prof Yunus said many delegations and election observers from abroad will come in the upcoming elections. The Superintendents of Police should work towards this so that they can present this election as a wonderful example to the whole world, he said. The Chief Adviser said they have all seen the past elections - some call it a farce election, some call it a fraud. "We have to rise above that and create a new standard."Prof Yunus mentioned that bringing about that change is the major responsibility of the police force. Chinese investors can help transform Bangladesh into manufacturing hub: Prof Yunus He emphasised the initiative and creativity of the officers in making the upcoming elections fair, saying, "Not everything can be written on paper. While performing your duties, you should think about how to do the job more efficiently." Home Affairs Adviser Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, among others, was present.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and visiting Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay have reaffirmed their commitment and cooperation at the international, regional and sub-regional platforms, like SAARC and BIMSTEC based on the principles of shared values, mutual respect, understanding, cooperation and a common aspiration for peace and prosperity. They also reaffirmed their commitment to enduring bilateral engagements and cooperation. The two sides expressed satisfaction with the establishment of the Joint Working Group (JWG) to facilitate the development of the Bhutanese Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Kurigram and welcomed the ongoing collaborative efforts. The leaders, according to a joint statement issued on Sunday, expressed satisfaction with the status of implementation of the agreement on the movement of ‘traffic-in-transit’, noting that the trial run of goods transport from Chattogram Port to Burimari Land Port is being completed. Bangladesh proposed supplying pharmaceutical products to Bhutan on a government-to-government basis. Bhutan key part of Dhaka’s vision for regional trade, says Prof Yunus Both sides acknowledged that such cooperation would enhance Bhutan’s access to affordable and quality healthcare supplies. At the invitation of the Chief Adviser, the Prime Minister of Bhutan is on a state visit to Bangladesh from November 22 to 24. He is scheduled to leave Dhaka for Thimphu on Monday morning, a senior official told UNB, noting that Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain will see him off at the airport. The Bhutanese PM was accompanied by Lyonpo D.N. Dhungyel, Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade; Lyonpo Namgyal Dorji, Minister for Industry, Commerce, and Employment; and senior officials of the Bhutanese government. Bangladesh, Bhutan sign 2 MoUs on internet connectivity, health cooperation The visit of Prime Minister Tobgay to Bangladesh is a reaffirmation of the deep-rooted friendship and goodwill that have long defined the relations between the two countries, according to the joint statement. The Chief Adviser hosted a banquet in honour of the Prime Minister of Bhutan on Saturday evening. Both the heads of government held official talks on Saturday in an atmosphere of heartfelt warmth and cordiality reflecting the time-tested friendship between the two countries. The two leaders recognised with deep satisfaction the excellent state of bilateral relations and discussed the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including trade, connectivity, and people-to-people connections. Recalling Bhutan as the first country to recognise Bangladesh as an independent country on 6 December 1971, Prof Yunus expressed gratitude for Bhutan's invaluable support during Bangladesh’s fight for independence. Both sides underscored the importance of enhancing bilateral trade and strengthening private sector cooperation. Prime Minister Tobgay also met business leaders from Bangladesh to explore new avenues for economic and commercial collaboration. Bangladesh appreciated the King of Bhutan’s global vision of Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) and conveyed her readiness to extend cooperation in the development of GMC in Bhutan. The two sides expressed satisfaction at the state of ongoing cooperation in various fields such as human resource development, connectivity, tourism and culture. In the presence of the two leaders, two MoUs - MoU on Trade of International Internet Bandwidth and other Telecommunication Services; and MoU on Appointment of Health Workforce were signed. The Prime Minister expressed appreciation for the cordial welcome and warm hospitality extended to him and the members of his delegation. He extended an invitation to the Chief Adviser to visit Bhutan at a mutually convenient time. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to enduring engagements and cooperation between the two countries and their people. BIDA executive chairman Ashik Chowdhury and National Citizen Party leaders separately called on visiting Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay at a city hotel on Sunday.  

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus has reaffirmed his government’s commitment to ensuring that the upcoming general election will be free, fair and inclusive.   “The election will be participatory. There will be a big turnout,” he said, adding that tens of millions of young people are expected to cast their first ballots, as they had no opportunity to vote during three rigged general elections during the 16-year long autocracy.   Prof Yunus made the remarks on Thursday evening during a meeting with visiting British Minister for International Development Baroness Jenny Chapman at the State Guest House Jamuna.   During their discussions, the two leaders covered a wide range of issues, including the February general election, tackling illegal migration, boosting trade, the Rohingya crisis,and enhancing cooperation in aviation and maritime sectors.   Prof Yunus reiterated that the election would be held on schedule in the first half of February, emphasizing that it would be "inclusive and participatory", with a large voter turnout expected, said the Chief Adviser’s press wing on Friday.   EU supports Bangladesh’s transition under interim govt The Chief Adviser said the Awami League would not be able to take part in the polls as its activities have been suspended under the country’s anti-terrorism laws, and the Election Commission has subsequently removed the party from the official list of registered political parties.   He said the July Charter would mark “a new beginning” for Bangladesh, reflecting the aspirations of millions who took part in the historic July–August uprising last year.   Minister Chapman thanked Professor Yunus’s leadership since assuming charge of the Interim Government, and commended the ongoing dialogue between the National Consensus Commission and political parties over the July Charter.