Polls in Feb, to be a landmark event

Bangladesh's forthcoming elections will be a "real and landmark" event--the first genuinely fair polls in 16 years, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus reaffirms.

He made the remarks during a high-level meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Rome on Monday, when the two sides also talked avenues of expanding trade and investment, said a spokesperson for the CA Office on Tuesday.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the World Food Forum (WFF), organised by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) where both leaders delivered keynote addresses.

During the bilateral talks at the FAO headquarters, Chief Adviser Yunus formally invited the Brazilian President to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time. President Lula accepted the invitation, hoping to make the trip by February.

He hopes the tour would help deepen bilateral relations and explore new avenues of cooperation between the two nations.

"I will go to Bangladesh," Lula said, adding that Brazil is eager to share its experience in universal healthcare and learn from Bangladesh's globally acclaimed models in social business and microcredit.

"That would be fantastic," replies Yunus, praising Brazil's efforts in social inclusion and sustainable development.

The two leaders discussed a wide range of issues like poverty reduction, climate action ahead of next year's COP30 summit, affordable vaccines and pharmaceuticals, and expanding trade and investment opportunities.

President Lula said Brazil could learn much from Bangladesh's success in empowering women and reducing poverty through social-business initiatives. Professor Yunus, in turn, highlighted the South American country's achievements in universal healthcare as a model worth studying.

The Chief Adviser emphasised that the February election would be a defining moment for Bangladesh. "This will be the first fair election in 16 years," he said. "Past elections under the previous autocratic regime were fake and rigged by the ruling party. The people are determined this time to restore democracy and integrity to the ballot box."

President Lula welcomes the democratic transition and says Brazil stands ready to deepen cooperation in social and economic development, particularly through South-South partnerships.

The meeting also explored opportunities for collaboration in deep-sea fishing, fisheries processing, fruit exports, and technology-driven agricultural innovation. Both leaders agreed on the need for making vaccines patent-free and affordable for all, particularly for developing countries.

President Lula invited Professor Yunus to attend the COP30 climate summit, which Brazil will host next year in an Amazonian state to draw global attention to protecting the rainforest.

The Chief Adviser thanked Lula for the invitation but said he might not be able to attend due to his leadership responsibilities ahead of Bangladesh's election in early February.

Professor Yunus said Bangladeshi football fans have long supported Brazil's national team, calling it "a unifying global force".

"People in every village in Bangladesh support Brazil," Yunus said. President Lula said he was aware of the deep affection Bangladeshis have for Brazilian football and that it symbolized the "friendship between our peoples."

Both sides agreed to pursue deeper economic engagement, especially in pharmaceuticals, agriculture, renewable energy, and blue economy. Professor Yunus said Bangladesh was eager to tap its vast maritime resources and would welcome Brazilian expertise in sustainable ocean management.

Also present at the meeting were Food Adviser Ali Imam Majumder, Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter, SDG Coordinator Lamiya Morshed and Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam. Several senior Brazilian ministers and officials joined President Lula.

Earlier, Professor Yunus met Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri and expressed appreciation for the city's support for the Bangladeshi community. "Thank you for taking good care of the Bangladeshi migrants," Yunus said, noting their successful integration into Italian society and their contributions through remittances.

Mayor Gualtieri praised Bangladeshi workers for their positive role in Rome's multicultural landscape and presented Professor Yunus with a commemorative plaque featuring Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius-an honour also recently given to President Lula.

In another meeting, the Chief Adviser held talks with Djibouti's Prime Minister, Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed, who expressed interest in replicating Bangladesh's microfinance model in his country. The two leaders discussed expanding trade in garments and pharmaceuticals and agreed to explore technical exchanges on financial inclusion.

Professor Yunus also met FAO Director-General Dr Qu Dongyu, who assured continued support for Bangladesh's deep-sea fishing, fruit exports, and agricultural development. Dr Qu lauded Yunus's contributions to global poverty reduction, calling Bangladesh a "high-performing country".

Meanwhile, World Food Programme (WFP) Acting Executive Director Carl Skau met the Chief Adviser on Tuesday to discuss the Rohingya crisis and global hunger challenges. Skau reaffirmed the WFP's commitment to supporting 1.3 million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, praising Yunus's leadership in bringing the issue back to international attention.

Professor Yunus thanked the WFP for its support and highlighted the government's new school feeding initiative, aiming to improve nutrition and education outcomes for children across Bangladesh.

With a series of high-level meetings in Rome, Professor Yunus used his visit to spotlight Bangladesh's democratic transition, food-security goals, and renewed engagement with the international community - signaling a fresh phase of global partnership as the nation approaches a pivotal election.

mirmostafiz@yahoo.com