News Flash
HAINAN, China, March 27, 2025 (BSS) - Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus
today sought support and advice from former United Nations Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon for a smooth transition to democracy in Bangladesh.
"We want to start anew, we need your support and advice. We are having a
great opportunity now," Prof Yunus told Ban Ki-moon as they met on the
sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in south China's
Hainan Province.
Ban Ki-moon praised the leadership of Chief Adviser Prof Yunus and said
Bangladesh will do much better under his leadership. "Bangladesh now has a
leader like you who is respected worldwide," said Ban Ki-moon.
The former UN Secretary-General recalled his role in setting up diplomatic
relationships between Bangladesh and South Korea when he was a young diplomat
posted in New Delhi.
"It was my pen that was used to sign the agreement to formalise Korea's
diplomatic relationship with Bangladesh," he recalled.
Ban Ki-moon said Bangladesh progressed a lot but should have done better
politically and democratically.
Prof Yunus said once Korea and Bangladesh were on the same line, but now
Korea has zoomed ahead.
"People of Bangladesh are wonderful, but political leadership destroyed us,"
he said.
Ban Ki-moon said that he introduced Bangladesh to Kihak Sung, the chairman of
Youngone Corporation and one of the most respectful business leaders in
Korea, who later went on to expand his business in a specialised economic
zone in Bangladesh.
The Chief Adviser said Bangladesh recently settled a long-pending land issue
with the Korean EPZ in Chattogram, hoping that it would encourage more Korean
business people to invest in Bangladesh.
Ashik Mahmud, chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority
(BIDA), informed the meeting that Kihak Sung would lead a 26-member strong
business delegation from Korea in the upcoming Business Summit in Dhaka.
The Chief Adviser also sought Ban Ki-moon's support in settling the Rohingya
crisis and invited him to visit Bangladesh at a convenient time.