Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus announced that Bangladesh is fully prepared to hold a free, fair, and peaceful general election in the first half of February, following a high-level meeting with United States Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, Sergio Gor, in New York on Monday.
“The election will be held in February. It will be free, fair, and peaceful. The country is fully prepared,” Yunus said after his discussion with Gor and the US ambassador-designate to India.
The meeting underscored growing diplomatic engagement between Dhaka and Washington, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties. Gor praised the chief adviser’s leadership during the political transition and expressed US support for Bangladesh’s efforts to uphold democratic processes. The talks covered a wide range of regional and global issues, including trade and economic cooperation, South Asian regional integration, the stalled SAARC process, the Rohingya refugee crisis, and the spread of disinformation targeting Bangladesh.
Professor Yunus highlighted the urgent need for regional cooperation, especially reviving the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), which has not held a summit in over a decade due to geopolitical tensions.
“We have intensified our efforts to revive SAARC. We believe regional unity is critical for long-term stability and economic prosperity,” he said.
The chief adviser also signalled Bangladesh’s interest in joining ASEAN, saying integration with Southeast Asia’s dynamic economies would accelerate national development.
He emphasised regional connectivity, particularly with Nepal, Bhutan, and India’s seven Northeastern states, arguing that stronger cross-border trade and infrastructure could unlock new growth corridors. “We can accelerate our economic growth through closer regional cooperation,” Yunus said.
Yunus urged continued American support for the over one million Rohingya refugees currently residing in camps in Cox’s Bazar. The US envoy assured that life-saving humanitarian aid would continue, recognizing the burden Bangladesh continues to bear on behalf of the international community.
The chief adviser extended a formal invitation to Sergio Gor to visit Bangladesh, expressing hope that stronger diplomatic engagement would follow.
In a related development, Professor Yunus also met with United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo. During the meeting, Yunus reaffirmed his Government’s commitment to holding a credible and peaceful election and requested increased UN support in the areas of election monitoring and humanitarian aid.
UN Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo welcomed the interim Government’s inclusive and democratic approach and assured continued UN engagement in supporting Bangladesh’s democratic and humanitarian goals. Muhammad Yunus is set to hold a series of high-level bilateral and multilateral meetings on the sidelines of the UNGA throughout the week.
On Monday evening (New York time), the chief adviser is scheduled to attend a special high-level event titled “Social Business, Youth and Technology,”
organised by the Global Committee on Social Business for Sustainable Development Goals. The event will focus on leveraging innovation and youth-driven entrepreneurship in achieving the SDGs by 2030.
