US offers support for reforms, to fight corruption, help repatriate stolen billions

Expressing willingness to become Bangladesh‍‍`s good partner in its new journey, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday Washington would work together with Bangladesh to help rebuild the country.

"We want to be good partners. We will make things work fast for Bangladesh," Seceretary Blinken said when he held a meeting with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus at a hotel here. 

The secretary of state said the US has "tremendous" respect for Prof Yunus, and they admired that he took up the leadership of the country at a critical time for the nation.

Yunus said the interim government was tasked with rebuilding the country, and he sought support from multilateral agencies such as the World Bank, the IMF, and also the USAID to fix the country‍‍`s economy and its institutions. 

"It has to be done very fast," he said, adding the entire population is "unified" behind his government and was looking forward to rebuilding the country as quickly as they can.

Reforms undertaken by the interim government, anti-corruption measures, repatriation of the stolen Bangladesh money stashed abroad, labour issues, trade and economic cooperation, and law and order featured in the talks.

Yunus said fighting corruption and improving law and order were the top priorities of the government. 

"The country was sunk into an ocean of corruption during the previous regime. This (fighting corruption) is my number one issue," he said. 

He sought US support to get back the billions of dollars stolen from the country and syphoned abroad by individuals linked with the previous regime. 

"It is a huge amount of money. Unbelievable!!," he said, referring to the laundered assets. 

Secretary Blinken offered the US government‍‍`s support in this regard. 

"We are happy to help," the chief adviser‍‍`s press wing quoted Blinken as saying.

"We have a lot of expertise in dealing with endemic corruption," Blinken added . 

The chief adviser said improving labour standards was one of the government‍‍`s top goals, as this would pave the way for more foreign direct investment in the country.

Secretary Blinken said the US is the largest source of foreign investment in Bangladesh, and he hoped it would grow in the coming years. 

They also discussed the UN fact finding mission investigating atrocities during the July-August uprising and media freedom.

 Yunus said his government has upheld freedom of speech and freedom of the press. He said he has asked the media to criticise them "as best as they can.".

The chief adviser said the government is committed to maintaining racial harmony in the country. 

"All Bangladesh is a big family. We have differences. But we are not enemies," he said. 

The two leaders also discussed the Rohingya crisis, with the chief adviser seeking support for hundreds of thousands of young Rohingya children growing up in the camps in Bangladesh. 

They discussed the importance of building strong institutions to fight corruption, uphold media freedom, respect internationally recognised labour rights, and protect human rights for all in Bangladesh, including Rohingya refugees and members of minority communities. 

He also indicated U.S. support for free and fair elections, which will chart an inclusive, democratic, and equitable future for all Bangladeshis, said Spokesperson Matthew Miller after the meeting. 

The secretary underscored U.S. support and assistance for the interim government as it guides the country towards economic stability and highlighted the importance of reforms to ensure continued foreign direct investment, Miller said.

Blinken met with Prof Yunus on the sidelines of the United National General Assembly.

The secretary and the chief adviser affirmed their shared vision of deepening the United States-Bangladesh partnership.

Earlier, Prof Yunus had a meeting with US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

Biden and Prof Yunus affirmed the close partnership between the United States and Bangladesh, which is rooted in shared democratic values and strong people-to-people ties. 

During the meeting on Tuesday, President Biden welcomed further engagement between the two governments. 

President Biden offered continued U.S. support as Bangladesh implements its new reform agenda, according to the readout of President Joe Biden’s meeting with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh. 

Biden met with Yunus to congratulate him on his recent appointment as the head of the interim government, according to the White House.  

This was the first time in the history of Bangladesh that a US President has met the head of the Bangladesh government on the sidelines of UNGA in New York, according to the Chief Adviser‍‍`s press wing. 

It is not usual for a US President to hold bilateral meetings during the UNGA, and Dhaka hoped to see a new strategic partnership that will strengthen the ties with the US on all fronts.