Correspondent - Md. Shahjahan Bashar:

New York, September 23 – Professor Muhammad Yunus, the chief advisor to the interim government of Bangladesh, said that the government is already making extensive preparations to organize free, fair and peaceful national elections in the first half of February next year.

The chief advisor made this information during a meeting with Sergio Gore, the US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia and Ambassador-designate to India, in New York on Monday. He said, “The elections will be held in February itself. The elections will be completely free, fair and peaceful. The country is fully prepared for this.”

The meeting assured that the US will continue to provide assistance to Bangladesh.

The state news agency BSS reported that the meeting discussed in detail various bilateral and regional issues including trade, South Asian regional cooperation, SAARC revival, Rohingya crisis and disinformation campaign targeting Dhaka.

The Principal Advisor sought continued US support, particularly for the more than one million Rohingya living in Cox's Bazar. In response, US officials pledged to continue life-saving assistance to the Rohingya.

After the meeting, Professor Muhammad Yunus invited Sergio Gore to visit Bangladesh at a convenient time.