Today, the leadership of the Open Society Foundations met with Professor Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser, to talk about Bangladesh’s attempts to restore its economy, track down assets that have been embezzled, fight false information, and implement crucial economic reforms.
A delegation from the Open Society Foundations, led by President Binaifer Nowrojee and Chair Alex Soros, visited Chief Adviser Prof. Yunus and endorsed the reforms implemented by the interim government.
Alex Soros praised Prof. Yunus during the meeting for guiding the nation through a pivotal period in its history and guiding the reforms required to repair the nation’s institutions and revive its economy.
He said the student-led mass uprising has given “great opportunities” to set a new course for the country.
They discussed issues ranging from the July uprising, transitional justice for the victims of struggle, economic reforms, media, recovery of stolen assets, the new cybersecurity laws and how to improve them and the Rohingya crisis.
“We will explore ways to support your efforts in these areas,” Alex Soros said.
Prof Yunus thanked the Open Foundations for its support.
He urged the Foundation to do more for spreading the news of the unprecedented student-led uprising, which has brought down a brutal dictatorship.
“What I witnessed during my visit to Davos was that not many people know about the July uprising,” he said. “There is a lot of disinformation.”
The Chief Adviser requested that the Foundation assist the nation with “asset tracing” in an effort to recover around 234 billion dollars that were embezzled during Sheikh Hasina’s 16-year leadership.
The Interim Government inherited a “devastated and war-torn” economy, according to Prof. Yunus, who asked the Foundation for assistance in rebuilding.
He claimed that although media freedom in Bangladesh has never been greater, social media is currently overrun with false and misleading material.
The Chief Adviser praised the Foundation’s expression of interest in supporting Bangladesh’s important LDC graduation.
“We have to think about how to do the transition without any problems,” he said.
