Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus returned to Dhaka this morning (June 14), concluding his four-day official visit to the United Kingdom.
A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight carrying Prof Yunus and his delegation landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 9:45 am, according to the Chief Adviser’s Senior Assistant Press Secretary, Foyez Ahammad.
The primary focus of the London visit was the recovery of illicit assets allegedly siphoned off during the previous administration, officials said.
“During Sheikh Hasina's tenure, an estimated US$234 billion was laundered from Bangladesh to various countries. A significant portion of this ended up in the UK. The main purpose of Prof Yunus’s visit was to initiate steps for recovering these stolen assets,” the Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary, Shafiqul Alam, told reporters in London.
During his stay, Prof Yunus held a number of high-level meetings and engagements. On Friday, he met BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman at a city hotel, where they discussed the upcoming general elections and broader political reforms.
He also spoke over the phone with former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, discussing Bangladesh’s economic recovery and the urgent need to expand educational opportunities for Rohingya children.
Prof Yunus was conferred the prestigious King Charles III Harmony Award on June 12 at St James’s Palace, in recognition of his contributions to fostering harmony between people, nature and the environment, and for his work with marginalised communities.
During the trip, Prof Yunus also held meetings with key UK officials, including Catherine West, UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Indo-Pacific; Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the UK House of Commons; Jonathan Reynolds, Secretary of State for Business and Trade; Jonathan Powell, UK National Security Adviser; Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Commonwealth Secretary-General.
Business leaders from Airbus and Menzies Aviation also called on Prof Yunus, expressing interest in deepening their partnerships with Bangladesh.
The Chief Adviser addressed a session at the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) and held an interactive session with students at his hotel.
He arrived in London on June 10 for the four-day official visit.
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