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Published : 24 Sep 2025, 12:25 PM
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has said the upcoming February election will usher in a new era for Bangladesh’s democracy during his meeting with Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo at his hotel in New York.
“The upcoming February election will be a foundational one,” he told Hidalgo 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 the state news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS).
Yunus, who played a role in the Paris 2024 Olympics, emphasised the importance of making all future Olympic Games, including the upcoming Los Angeles Olympics, carbon neutral.
He said that Bangladesh is on course for a democratic transition, with the next general election scheduled for the first half of February.
Mayor Hidalgo expressed her full confidence in his 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 1 million Rohingya refugees living in camps in southeastern Bangladesh.
Hidalgo specifically called for improved living conditions in refugee camps across the globe and expressed hope that the Rohingya people would one day be able to return safely and with dignity to their homeland in Myanmar.
The chief adviser noted that the United Nations is hosting a major international conference on the Rohingya crisis next week, with the aim of revitalising global attention on one of the most severe refugee situations in decades.
He also extended an invitation to Hidalgo to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time.
