Washington: Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus recently met with Alex Soros, son of billionaire philanthropist George Soros, amid the Trump administration’s decision to suspend all foreign aid, including help to Bangladesh. This marks their second meeting in three months, after a regime change in the South Asian nation last year.
In an online statement, Yunus said that their discussions centred on economic recovery and implementing crucial financial reforms. “The Open Society Foundations (OSF) leadership met with the Chief Adviser on Wednesday to discuss Bangladesh’s economic rebuilding efforts, tracking misappropriated assets, combating misinformation, and executing key economic reforms,” read a statement from the Chief Adviser’s office.
Cybersecurity, media freedom discussed
OSF, founded by Hungarian-American financier George Soros, is currently chaired by his son, Alex Soros. Alongside economic policies, the delegation—including OSF President Binaifer Nowrojee—delved into issues like cybersecurity, media freedom and the Rohingya refugee crisis during their discussions in Dhaka, according to local media reports.
During the meeting, Alex Soros had supported for the interim administration’s reform initiatives and highlighted the student-led protests that contributed to the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government last August as a huge turning point for the country. He also commended Yunus for his leadership and efforts to introduce much-needed reforms in Bangladesh, The Daily Star reported.
Yunus acknowledges OSF’s support
Yunus, a Nobel laureate, acknowledged OSF’s backing and addressed concerns about misinformation surrounding the anti-Hasina demonstrations. Their previous meeting took place in New York last October, shortly after Yunus assumed office after Hasina’s departure. At the time, Alex Soros had referred to Yunus as “an old friend of my father” in an Instagram post, sharing pictures from their discussion.
George Soros, known for investing billions into global initiatives to counter nationalism, has faced allegations of influencing political shifts in various nations. The transition of power in Bangladesh last year also fueled speculation of US involvement, though Washington dismissed such claims. A US State Department official had then described any suggestion that the United States played a role in Hasina’s resignation as “absolutely false.”
