Why Yunus-Starmer meeting did not happen

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus' meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer could not be held, despite commitment from the UK officials, for some reasons at the last moment, said Acting Foreign Secretary Ruhul Alam Siddique yesterday.

He, however, did not specify the reason but described how it happened.

He was asked why the bilateral meeting between Prof Yunus and Starmer was not held though the acting foreign secretary at the curtain raiser before the chief adviser's visit to the UK from June 9-14 had spoken of a possible meeting.

At a media briefing at the foreign ministry, Siddique said the British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke, during a breakfast meeting with him before the visit, conveyed that the visit was upgraded to an official visit.

Later, she met the chief adviser and conveyed the same message to the Bangladesh side. Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Abida Islam was also conveyed by the UK side that it is an official visit, he said.

"The meeting was on agenda until the Chief Adviser reached London but the specific time was not marked. We had an expectation even at the last moment that the meeting would take place. At the last moment, for some reason, the meeting did not take place," he said.

He said, however, said some responsibilities come onto their shoulders as they (MoFA) were part of the preparation of the visit.

Asked if the government will officially communicate the UK about the issue, especially as part of the responsibility also goes to the UK side, Ruhul Alam Siddique said, "After such a successful visit, I find no logical reason to strain the friendly and historic relations between our two countries over a single issue."

Except for the meeting with the prime minister, he said, the chief adviser had more meetings than planned and he was provided with full protocol. The chief adviser received prestigious King Charles III Harmony award and had a private audience with the king.

"Our main issue was recovering laundered money and we saw tangible progress towards it," he said.

In an interview with BBC during the visit, Prof Yunus, on the meeting with Starmer, said, "I don't know whether I should be disappointed or he should be disappointed. It's a missed opportunity."

When asked if Downing Street had given a reason for not scheduling a meeting with Starmer, he said, "I don't think we have received an explanation from that kind of thing. Probably he is busy with other important things."