Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday (28 May, 2025) reiterated that a general election will be held in Bangladesh by June next year under any circumstances to carry forward the reform initiatives taken by the current interim government.
Professor Yunus renewed the vow when former Japanese Prime Minister and Japan-Bangladesh Parliamentary Friendship League (JBPFL) president Taro Aso called on him at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo as the Chief Adviser began his four-day visit to Japan.
The Chief Adviser arrived in Tokyo at 2:05 p.m. local time to attend the Nikkei Forum for Asia and hold bilateral talks with Japanese leaders.
Taro Aso, also a former Japanese foreign minister and longtime friend of Bangladesh, who has been holding the position of the JBPFL, thanked Professor Yunus for moving Bangladesh towards political stability and emphasised the need for a general election for a smooth democratic transition.
The Chief Adviser said that the interim government is working on prioritising three key areas — reforms, trials of killers and a general election.
He also said that the interim government has made significant economic progress in restoring discipline in the banking sector, rebuilding the foreign exchange reserve and repaying the debts.
“The previous regime destroyed every institution of our country, forcing the young people to rise up against it. The young people invited me to fix the mess that has been created,” he said.
“Japan has given every kind of assistance that we needed in the past ten months. I want to thank Japan a lot for its support. This is, in a way, a thank you tour,” the Chief Adviser said.
Professor Yunus invited Aso to visit Bangladesh to see the changes taking place firsthand.
Several Japanese lawmakers who accompanied Aso during the meeting said that signing the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) could be a further step forward in attracting more Japanese investment in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh is expecting to complete the negotiation by August and sign the agreement in September.
Once signed, Japan will be the first country to have an EPA with Bangladesh.
The Chief Adviser also explained the situation of Rohingya refugees to Japanese lawmakers and sought their support to promote the agenda for Rohingya repatriation.
He said that the Rohingya refugee crisis is different from other refugee crises in the world, as they are not begging to go to any other country but their home.
Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, Chief Adviser’s special envoy Lutfey Siddiqi and senior security for SDG affairs Lamiya Morshed were also present at the meeting.
