February polls to usher new democratic era: Yunus

Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus has said that Bangladesh is on course for a democratic transition, with the next general election scheduled for the first half of February.

“The upcoming February election will be a foundational one, ushering in a new era for the country's democracy,” the Chief Adviser said after the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, called on him at his hotel in New York on Tuesday.

During their meeting, the two leaders discussed a range of pressing issues, including the upcoming general election in Bangladesh, reforms initiated by the Interim Government, the role of social business in sports and the Olympics, and global refugee challenges—particularly the ongoing Rohingya humanitarian crisis, according to a post on the Chief Adviser’s official Facebook page.

Yunus, who played a key role in transforming the Paris 2024 Olympics into one of the largest social business events in history, emphasized the importance of making all future Olympic Games—including the upcoming Los Angeles Olympics—carbon neutral.

Mayor Hidalgo expressed her full confidence in Professor Yunus’s leadership during this critical time. “I admire your leadership. You’ve done an excellent job,” she said.

Both leaders underlined the urgent need for increased funding to support humanitarian efforts for over one million Rohingya refugees living in camps in southeastern Bangladesh. Hidalgo specifically called for improved living conditions in refugee camps worldwide and expressed hope that the Rohingya people would one day be able to return safely and with dignity to their homeland in Myanmar.

Yunus noted that the United Nations is hosting a major international conference on the Rohingya crisis next week, aiming to revitalize global attention on one of the most severe refugee situations in decades. He also extended an invitation to Mayor Hidalgo to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time.

Lamiya Morshed, SDG Coordinator and Senior Secretary to the Government of Bangladesh, was also present at the meeting.