Commonwealth to assist BD ahead of election
Staff Reporter :
Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey on Tuesday expressed the organisation’s willingness to assist Bangladesh in undertaking political and constitutional reforms ahead of the country’s planned general election next year.
“We would be pleased to offer support, particularly in the area of constitutional reforms, should Bangladesh request it,” said Botchwey during a meeting with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at his hotel in London.
The Secretary-General emphasised that promoting democracy and good governance remains a core priority for the Commonwealth over the next five years. In addition, the organisation will focus on boosting intra-Commonwealth trade and investment, and supporting member states in their fight against climate change.
Highlighting the significance of the 56-nation bloc, Botchwey noted that the Commonwealth represents a combined population of 2.7 billion people, with current annual trade among member states amounting to approximately USD 850 billion. She said the goal is to increase this figure to at least USD 1 trillion in the near future.
Botchwey also pointed out that many Commonwealth nations are vulnerable to the effects of climate change, particularly the smaller states. “We aim to help them secure access to climate finance,” she added.
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus welcomed the Commonwealth’s support and urged the Secretary-General to explore further avenues for youth engagement, particularly through sports.
“Sports are more than just entertainment-they can serve as a form of social development,” said Professor Yunus. “We are encouraging athletes to become entrepreneurs. Sports could also be a unique way for the Commonwealth to leave a lasting impression.”
Botchwey responded by noting that the Commonwealth is set to host a youth programme in Dhaka later this month. She said that out of the organisation’s 2.7 billion population, 1.5 billion are young people, and efforts are underway to engage them in various initiatives.
She also mentioned plans to revamp the Commonwealth scholarship programme, a priority area the Chief Adviser strongly endorsed.
Among others present at the meeting were National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman, Chief Adviser’s Special Envoy Lutfe Siddiqi, Senior Secretary for SDG Affairs Lamiya Morshed, and Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Abida Islam.