¶¶Òõ¾«Æ·

Chief adviser’s press secretary Shafiqul Alam on Friday listed six major achievements during the recent United Nations General Assembly tour of Muhammad Yunus, including his government’s democratic commitment and vision for a collaborative future.

Yunus led Bangladesh’s high-level delegation to the 80th UNGA in New York in the past week, where he addressed the international community, held bilateral meetings with world leaders and outlined Bangladesh’s vision for democracy, humanitarian leadership and future economic cooperation.

He returned home on Thursday morning, concluding a nine-day visit marked by engagements during the 80th UNGA.

Shafiqul Alam said that in his address to the UNGA, Yunus reaffirmed Bangladesh’s unwavering commitment to democracy, transparency and inclusive governance.

Highlighting the government’s preparations for free, fair, and participatory elections, he assured the global community that Bangladesh was ready to uphold the democratic values cherished by its people and partners.

Accompanying the chief adviser were six representatives from Bangladesh political parties. This was the first time such a distinguished group of political leaders had travelled together. During the visit, they held key meetings with diplomats, diaspora leaders and business representatives.

‘These engagements sent a powerful message that all of Bangladesh is moving together toward democratic, free and fair elections,’ Shafiqul said.

Mentioning the strategic engagements with global leaders, Shafiqul said that during his visit, chief adviser held a series of high-level bilateral meetings aimed at strengthening Bangladesh’s global partnerships and advancing shared priorities.

Key engagements included talks with leaders from Italy, Finland, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Australia, Albania, Kosovo and Bhutan, focusing on democratic governance, trade, climate resilience, and human development, he said.

He also met with United Nations secretary general António Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, UNICEF executive director Catherine Russell, UN under secretary general Rabab Fatima, World Bank president Ajay Banga, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva, he said.

Yunus attended a dinner hosted by United States president Donald Trump where he met a number of top world leaders, he added, mentioning that significant discussions also took place with a special envoy of the US, underlining Bangladesh’s pivotal role in regional cooperation and multilateral diplomacy.

Regarding the humanitarian leadership on the Rohingya crisis, Shafiqul said that a central focus of Yunus’ mission was the Rohingya crisis, where he emphasised Bangladesh’s continued leadership in providing shelter and humanitarian assistance to over a million displaced people.

In meetings with UN agencies and donor nations, he called for renewed global action to ensure safe, voluntary and dignified repatriation to Myanmar and urged the international community not to let the crisis fade from global attention, he said, mentioning, ‘Professor Yunus was able to gain the commitment of $96 million from the US and the UK to aid the Rohingya refugees.’

The press secretary said that in a significant move to underscore the government’s commitment to accountability and development, the chief adviser invited the United Nations to conduct an independent assessment of Bangladesh’s progress as a least developed country transitioning toward middle-income status.

‘This invitation demonstrates Dhaka’s confidence in its economic trajectory and openness to constructive international evaluation,’ he said.

Pointing out the new economic and employment opportunities, Shafiqul said that Bangladesh’s engagement at the UNGA also opened new doors for overseas employment and labour mobility.

He said, ‘Yunus held productive discussions with officials from Kosovo, Albania, and other European countries exploring avenues for Bangladeshi workers to contribute to their growing labour markets.’

‘These opportunities are expected to bolster remittance inflows and strengthen people-to-people ties with new partner nations,’ added Shafiqul.

He also said that chief adviser participation in the UNGA underscored Bangladesh’s role as a responsible global actor committed to democratic governance, humanitarian solidarity and constructive international cooperation.