Yunus's June Blunders: No Meetings with Macron or Starmer

Just ten months into his tenure as the head of Bangladesh's interim government, Dr. Muhammad Yunus has reportedly experienced two significant diplomatic setbacks, both occurring this June.

Missed Opportunity in France

The first incident unfolded during the third Ocean Conference, co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, held in Nice from June 9th to 13th under the auspices of the United Nations. Dr. Yunus received an invitation to attend the conference, as well as a dinner hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron for all participating heads of state and government on the eve of the summit.

However, Dr. Yunus had sought a bilateral meeting with President Macron on the sidelines of the conference. This request reportedly met with a diplomatic challenge. The French side indicated that President Macron's schedule for bilateral meetings with various visiting heads of state and government was already fully booked, leaving no available time for a meeting with Dr. Yunus.

This outcome was not well-received by the Bangladeshi government. Despite extensive efforts in both Dhaka and Paris to arrange a bilateral meeting, it ultimately did not materialize. Consequently, a dissatisfied Dr. Yunus canceled his planned visit to France.

Unsuccessful UK Visit

Following the aborted France trip, Dr. Yunus reportedly decided to visit the United Kingdom. Here, efforts began anew to arrange a bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. However, the Dr. Yunus-led government was again unsuccessful in this endeavor. The presence of British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Sarah Cooke, in London during the Chief Advisor's visit had led to speculation that a bilateral meeting was imminent. Yet, Bangladeshi diplomacy faced its second "visible" failure in June.

The Bangladeshi government's apparent inability to arrange a Yunus-Starmer bilateral meeting has reportedly surprised the Bangladeshi community residing in the UK and raised eyebrows within diplomatic circles both at home and abroad.

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Author: Muhammad Abdus Sattar

Senior Journalist based in London