Feb polls to set standard for future votes, CA tells US ambassador

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has said the February 12 general elections would set a benchmark for all future polls in Bangladesh.

He made the remarks when the newly appointed US Ambassador to Bangladesh, Brent Christensen, paid his maiden courtesy call on the Chief Adviser at the State Guest House Jamuna yesterday (22 January), said the Chief Adviser's Press Wing this morning. 

During the meeting, the two sides discussed a wide range of issues, including the upcoming general elections, sweeping labour laws approved by the interim government, the planned Bangladesh–US tariff agreement and Rohingya crisis.

The Chief Adviser also highlighted key foreign policy initiatives of the interim government including Dhaka's planned bid for ASEAN membership, and the need to revive SAARC as a key platform for regional and economic cooperation in South Asia.

CA Yunus said the government was fully prepared to hold free, fair, and transparent elections on 12 February. He noted that the European Union would deploy a large number of election observers and expressed hope that other development partners would also send observers to monitor the polls.

"It will be a festive election. It will set the standard for good elections in the future. Let's keep our fingers crossed," the Chief Adviser said.

In response, Ambassador Christensen, who arrived in Bangladesh earlier this month, said he was looking forward to working with whoever wins the February elections. 

The US envoy praised the interim government's efforts to implement vital reforms and commended Professor Yunus's leadership over the past 18 months.

Ambassador Christensen also appreciated the newly promulgated labour laws. 

Professor Yunus thanked President Donald Trump for lowering tariffs on Bangladeshi exports to the United States and expressed hope that the ongoing trade talks would lead to further tariff reductions.

The US ambassador welcomed the progress made in trade negotiations, stressing that expanded agricultural trade remained a cornerstone of the ongoing Dhaka–Washington discussions.

CA Yunus lauded the United States for its continued humanitarian assistance to more than one million Rohingya Muslims living in camps in southeastern Bangladesh.

Highlighting Bangladesh's strategic position as a bridge between South Asia and Southeast Asia, the Chief Adviser said Dhaka was seeking ASEAN membership and had already applied for a Sectoral Dialogue Partnership with the regional bloc.

Professor Yunus also said he had made serious efforts over the past 18 months to revive the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to bring the peoples and economies of the region closer together. He expressed hope that the next government would carry this initiative forward.

The two sides also discussed 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.