Commonwealth offers support in Bangladesh reform process

Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey met with Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus in London, expressing the organization's strong interest in assisting Bangladesh with political reforms ahead of its general election next year. Botchwey specifically offered support for constitutional reforms, emphasizing that fostering democracy and good governance is a top priority for the Commonwealth over the next five years.

Key Commonwealth Priorities and Initiatives

Beyond political reform, Botchwey highlighted two other core priorities for the Commonwealth:

• Boosting Trade and Investment: With a combined population of 2.7 billion, member states currently engage in approximately $850 billion USD in annual trade. The Commonwealth aims to increase this to at least $1 trillion in the coming years.
• Fighting Climate Change: Recognizing that many member countries, particularly smaller nations, are severely impacted by climate change, the organization plans to help them access climate finance.

Professor Yunus, during the meeting, urged the Secretary-General to explore the potential of sports for increasing youth engagement across member states. He emphasized that sports serve not only as entertainment but also as a form of social orientation, encouraging athletes to become entrepreneurs and offering a memorable way for the Commonwealth to connect with its populace.

Read More: Dr. Yunus and Tarique Rahman to Set Meeting Agenda

In response, Botchwey revealed plans for a youth program in Dhaka this month, acknowledging that 1.5 billion of the Commonwealth's population are young people whom they are striving to involve in various activities. She also mentioned intentions to revamp Commonwealth scholarships for students, a proposal that Professor Yunus strongly supported.

The meeting was attended by several Bangladeshi officials, including National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman, Chief Adviser’s Special Envoy Lutfe Siddiqi, Senior Secretary for SDG Affairs Lamiya Morshed, and Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Abida Islam.