Staff Reporter :
Chief Adviser of the interim government, Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, has called on the United States for assistance in rebuilding Bangladesh, implementing vital reforms, and recovering assets misappropriated during previous regimes.
In a high-level meeting held with the US delegation at the state guest house, Jamuna, in Dhaka, on Sunday, Yunus emphasised the pressing need for reforms across various sectors, including the economy, judiciary, police, and civil administration.
He highlighted the challenges his interim government has faced since assuming office and the swift actions taken to address these crucial issues.
“We are ready to reset, reform, and restart the economy as soon as possible,” Yunus said during the meeting, stressing efforts to restore confidence in the country’s institutions, which have long been plagued by corruption and inefficiency.
Yunus outlined the creation of six commissions tasked with addressing vote rigging, reforming the judiciary and police, and enhancing anti-corruption measures.
He also revealed plans to amend the constitution to ensure long-term stability and transparency in governance.
“This is a very important time for us and a significant moment in our history,” Yunus remarked, referring to the student-led revolution that recently ignited a wave of optimism in the nation.
Addressing the pervasive issue of corruption, Yunus acknowledged that the government faces an uphill battle in recovering stolen assets syphoned off by corrupt individuals during the previous autocratic regime. “We were in an ocean of corruption,” he noted, underscoring the magnitude of the challenge.
The U.S. delegation, led by Brent Neiman, Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Department, expressed strong support for Yunus’s reform agenda. “We are ready to assist with technical and financial resources for the ongoing reforms,” Neiman said, commending Yunus’s leadership during the challenging transition period.
Key issues discussed during the hour-long meeting included financial and economic reforms, labour issues, investment opportunities, the ongoing Rohingya crisis, and Yunus’s upcoming visit to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The U.S. delegation also featured Donald Lu, Assistant Secretary of State; Brendan Lynch, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative; Anjali Kaur, Deputy Assistant Administrator of USAID; and Jerrod Mason, Director of the U.S. Treasury Department.
Representing Bangladesh were Lutfey Siddiqi, Special Envoy on International Affairs; Lamiya Morshed, Senior Secretary and Head of SDG Affairs; Md Jashim Uddin, Foreign Secretary; and Md Shahriar Kader Siddiky, Secretary of the Economic Relations Division.
Yunus’s appeal for international support comes at a critical juncture for Bangladesh, as the country strives to overcome decades of political instability, corruption, and economic challenges, aiming to build a more stable, transparent, and prosperous future for its people.