Bangladesh ‘fully prepared’ for Feb polls: Chief Adviser

Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus on Monday said the interim government is making comprehensive preparations to ensure a free, fair, and peaceful general election in the first half of February.

He made the remarks during a meeting in New York with Sergio Gor, the US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia and US Ambassador-designate to India, according to a post on the Chief Adviser’s official Facebook page.

"The election will be held in February. It will be free, fair, and peaceful. The country is fully prepared," Professor Yunus told the envoy.

Sergio Gor commended the Chief Adviser’s leadership and reaffirmed the United States’ willingness to support Bangladesh’s efforts.

During the meeting, both sides discussed a wide range of bilateral and regional issues, including trade, South Asian regional cooperation, the revival of SAARC, the Rohingya crisis, and the spread of disinformation targeting Dhaka.

The Chief Adviser sought continued US support for more than one million Rohingya refugees currently residing in camps in Cox’s Bazar. In response, US officials assured that life-saving aid for the Rohingyas would continue.

Yunus highlighted the Interim Government’s efforts to revive SAARC, which has not held a summit in over a decade. He also expressed Bangladesh’s interest in joining ASEAN, noting that integration with Southeast Asian economies could significantly accelerate the country’s development.

He further emphasised the importance of strengthening economic ties with landlocked Nepal and Bhutan, as well as with India’s seven Northeastern states. “We can accelerate our economic growth through closer regional cooperation,” he said.

The Chief Adviser also extended an invitation to Sergio Gor to visit Bangladesh at his earliest convenience.