Yunus seeks WB support to upgrade Ctg port
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus yesterday urged the World Bank to assist in modernising the Chittagong Port and recovering stolen funds.
"Chittagong Port is key to economic growth in the region -- let's develop it together," a press release from the Chief Adviser's Press Wing quoted him as saying to WB President Ajay Banga.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. During a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Yunus urged the Washington-based multilateral lender to support his government in recovering stolen assets.
Banga underscored the importance of robust reforms in the banking and fiscal sectors, stating they are essential for sustained, high-growth economic development, the press release added.
Yunus also delivered a speech at the opening segment of the "First Biennial Summit for a Sustainable, Inclusive and Resilient Global Economy: Implementing Commitments on Financing the Sustainable Development Goals" at the UN headquarters.
He shared five priorities for better financing the SDGs, including mobilisation of domestic resources fairly, supported by international assistance.
"Tax systems must be progressive, transparent, and [we have to] ensure [that] multinational corporations pay their share. Negotiations under the UN Framework on International Tax Cooperation must address these inequities," he said.
He warned that UN budget cuts or shrinking Official Development Assistance would be counterproductive for countries like Bangladesh, which hosts 1.3 million Rohingyas while battling climate shocks and economic turbulence.
He also emphasised leveraging innovative finance and social business, calling for reforms in the global financial system and debt governance, as well as enforcing transparency, preventing illicit financing and ensuring citizen participation.
The chief adviser highlighted the importance of accelerating investment for the most vulnerable, including resilient housing, climate-smart agriculture, healthcare, education and nature-based solutions.
Closing the USD 4 trillion annual investment gap for the SDGs is formidable, yet essential, he said.
"We must heed the voices of the marginalised that depend on us. In Bangladesh, we believe poverty should not be a barrier to one's dreams. Financial inclusion and access to resources are instruments of justice," Yunus said.
The chief adviser also held meetings with Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, according CA's press wing.
Meanwhile, while speaking with state dignitaries and others at an event in New York on Tuesday, Yunus said the upcoming February election would usher in a new era of democracy in Bangladesh.
During a reception hosted by US President Donald Trump in New York, Yunus extended an invitation to the US president to visit Bangladesh at his convenience.
At the event, he exchanged pleasantries with Trump and several global leaders, including King Felipe VI of Spain, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay.
Also on Tuesday, Yunus held a series of high-level meetings with global leaders. Among them were Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Queen Máxima of the Netherlands and World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
In a meeting with Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, Yunus underlined the urgent need for increased funding to support humanitarian efforts for over one million Rohingya refugees living in camps in Bangladesh.
Hidalgo called for improved living conditions in refugee camps worldwide and expressed hope that the Rohingya people would one day return safely and with dignity to their homeland in Myanmar.
Yunus, who played a key role in transforming the Paris 2024 Olympics into one of the largest social business events in history, also emphasised the importance of making all future Olympic Games, including the upcoming Los Angeles Olympics, carbon neutral.
Later in the day, Yunus participated in two events: one on Fashion for Development and another on collaboration between the public and private sectors in social innovation.
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