Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has said that Bangladesh’s general elections scheduled for February 12 would set a benchmark for all future polls in the country.
The remarks were made when the newly appointed United States Ambassador to Bangladesh, Brent Christensen, paid his first courtesy call on the chief adviser at the State Guest House Jamuna in Dhaka on Thursday, according to a statement released by the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing on Friday.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed a wide range of issues, including preparations for the upcoming general elections, newly approved labour laws introduced by the interim government, the proposed Bangladesh–United States tariff agreement, and the ongoing Rohingya crisis.
Professor Yunus said the interim government was fully prepared to conduct free, fair and transparent elections, adding that the process would be closely observed by the international community. He noted that the European Union was expected to deploy a significant number of election observers and expressed hope that other development partners would also send observer missions.
“It will be a festive election. It will set the standard for good elections in the future. Let’s keep our fingers crossed,” Professor Yunus was quoted as saying.
The chief adviser also outlined key foreign policy priorities of the interim administration, including Bangladesh’s intention to seek membership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). He said Dhaka had already applied for a Sectoral Dialogue Partnership with the regional bloc, highlighting the country’s strategic position between South and Southeast Asia.
He further said he had made sustained efforts over the past 18 months to revive the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), describing it as a vital platform for regional connectivity and economic cooperation. Professor Yunus expressed hope that the next elected government would continue efforts to strengthen the organisation.
In response, Ambassador Brent Christensen said he was looking forward to working with whichever government emerges after the February elections. The US envoy, who arrived in Bangladesh earlier this month, praised the interim government’s reform initiatives and commended Professor Yunus’s leadership during the transition period.
Ambassador Christensen also welcomed the newly enacted labour laws, describing them as an important step forward. Professor Yunus thanked US President Donald Trump for reducing tariffs on Bangladeshi exports to the United States and said he hoped ongoing trade discussions would result in further tariff cuts.
The US ambassador acknowledged progress in bilateral trade talks and said expanded agricultural trade remained a central focus of discussions between Dhaka and Washington.
The chief adviser also expressed gratitude to the United States for its continued humanitarian assistance to more than one million Rohingya Muslims living in camps in southeastern Bangladesh.
The meeting also touched on recent US visa restrictions imposed on 75 countries, including Bangladesh.
National Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman and SDG Coordinator Lamiya Morshed were also present at the meeting.
