US Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged US assistance in recovering billions of dollars embezzled from Bangladesh and overseas by parties affiliated with the outgoing government.
In a New York hotel, he made these remarks during a meeting with Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus.
The chief adviser’s press wing reported that Yunus had stated that the government’s top priorities were strengthening law and order and combating corruption.
“The previous administration plunged the nation into a sea of corruption. Fighting corruption is my priority, Yunus declared.
To recover the billions of dollars that those connected to the former government had embezzled from the nation and sent abroad, he asked for US assistance.
“That sum of money is enormous. He described the laundered assets as “unbelievable!”
The US should support a temporary government in conducting impartial, free polls.
In this sense, Blinken extended the US government’s support. “We are glad to assist,” he remarked. “We have a lot of expertise in dealing with endemic corruption,” he stated.
According to Blinken, Bangladesh will see rapid progress because the United States aspires to be a beneficial partner. He continued by saying that Prof. Yunus enjoys “tremendous” esteem in the US, and they are impressed that he assumed the nation’s leadership at a pivotal juncture.
According to the chief adviser, the government’s primary objective is to raise labor standards because doing so will encourage more foreign direct investment into the country.
According to Blinken, the US is Bangladesh’s main source of foreign investment, and he anticipated that this percentage would rise in the years to come.
They also talked about media freedom and the UN fact-finding mission looking into abuses during the uprising in July and August.
Prof. Yunus asserts that his government has respected press and speech freedoms. He said he wants media to criticize them “as best as they can.”
According to the chief adviser, preserving racial harmony in the nation is a priority for the government. Bangladesh is a large family nation. There are disparities between us. Yet we are not adversaries,” he declared.
During their discussion of the Rohingya crisis, the main adviser requested assistance for the hundreds of thousands of young Rohingya children living in camps in Bangladesh.
