Dhaka/London, June 12 — Bangladesh’s interim government Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus has embarked on an extensive series of foreign tours over the past ten months, raising significant controversy about both the purpose and the value of these trips to Bangladesh.
Since taking office, Yunus has visited 11 countries: the United States, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, China, Thailand, Qatar, Vatican City, Japan, and now the United Kingdom. Excluding the UK visit currently underway, these tours have reportedly cost over Tk 260.8 crore (approximately USD 23 million) and spanned 70 days.
Critics question what concrete benefits Bangladesh has gained from these trips. Notably, none of the visits were made at the official invitation of foreign governments. Rather, they primarily involved attending conferences organized by various international organizations. Apart from staged photo-ops with China’s President and Japan’s Prime Minister, the tours yielded little in terms of substantive government-to-government achievements.
Despite this, pro-government media outlets in Bangladesh have repeatedly exaggerated the significance of Yunus’s travels, claiming grand diplomatic successes. In reality, the outcomes have been negligible—many observers describe them as “all zeros.”
Personal Branding Over National Interest
The tours appear to serve Yunus’s personal branding and Western image-building efforts more than advancing Bangladesh’s strategic or economic interests. For example, the much-touted Japanese funding of $1.06 billion merely continues previously approved rail and budget support projects negotiated under the prior government led by Sheikh Hasina.
Similarly, during his China visit, Yunus signed nine largely symbolic memoranda of understanding (MOUs) related to literature, culture, sports, and journalism—far from the large-scale industrial or trade agreements Bangladesh urgently needs. Bangladesh’s Economic Relations Division (ERD) openly criticized the low-value nature of these deals during a high-level diplomatic mission.
His Middle East visits (Qatar and UAE) resulted in vague investment promises, with only one preliminary discussion on a potential special economic zone in the UAE—no binding agreements.
High Costs, Low Returns
At the UN General Assembly, Yunus took the opportunity to be photographed with then-U.S. President Joe Biden, but there is no evidence this encounter yielded concrete diplomatic or economic gains. In fact, Bangladeshi citizens are now facing increasing visa restrictions across several Western countries.
During his Vatican trip, Yunus promoted his personal “Three Zero” vision while attending Pope Francis’s funeral—another event focused more on personal PR than national benefit.
UK Trip Mired in Further Controversy
The current UK visit has already sparked new controversy. While domestic media reported Yunus would receive the King Charles Harmony Award, his name does not appear on the official nominees list published on the King’s Foundation website—leading to accusations of misleading the public.
Moreover, claims that Yunus would meet UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer have proven baseless. Yunus himself later admitted there was no confirmed meeting scheduled.
Observers suggest the true purpose of the London trip may be to meet exiled Bangladeshi opposition leader Tarique Rahman—an individual convicted of corruption and living in exile in the UK. Critics argue that Yunus is misusing state resources for political maneuvering while publicly denying such intent.
Timing Under Question
The timing of these tours is also being questioned. Bangladesh is currently facing serious economic challenges, including a slowdown in remittances, mounting debt repayments, and dwindling foreign exchange reserves. Yunus’s trips have failed to provide any tangible relief to these issues.
Instead, his actions increasingly position Bangladesh as a proxy state aligned with Western geopolitical interests—compromising national sovereignty in the eyes of many critics.
Importantly, Yunus’s tours have failed to address pressing national concerns such as the Rohingya refugee crisis, unresolved border issues with India, or water-sharing agreements over the Ganges and Teesta rivers.
Full List of Tours:
1. Sept 23–28, 2024: New York, UN General Assembly
2. Nov 11–22, 2024: Baku, Azerbaijan, UN Climate Summit
3. Dec 18–20, 2024: Cairo, Egypt, D-8 Summit
4. Jan 21–25, 2025: Davos, Switzerland, World Economic Forum
5. Feb 13–14, 2025: Dubai, UAE, World Government Summit
6. Mar 26–30, 2025: Hainan & Beijing, China, Boao Forum & bilateral talks
7. Apr 3–4, 2025: Bangkok, Thailand, BIMSTEC Summit
8. Apr 21–25, 2025: Doha, Qatar, Economic Summit
9. Apr 26, 2025: Vatican City, Pope Francis’s funeral
10. May 28–June 1, 2025: Tokyo, Japan, Nikkei Forum & bilateral meeting
11. June 10–13, 2025: London, UK (Purpose unclear)
A Risky Strategy
Many critics now openly label Yunus as a “Western lobby sell-out.” While his glossy images in Western capitals may please some domestic supporters, in the long run, they risk undermining Bangladesh’s national interests.
Bangladesh’s policymaking increasingly appears to be shifting toward an NGO-like project model, with Yunus at the center—earning praise abroad while losing grassroots credibility at home.
Even on the international stage, Yunus’s image is reportedly eroding, as concerns over human rights violations and governance under Bangladesh’s interim regime continue to mount.
Whether Yunus recognizes this reality—or whether his inner circle is shielding him from it—remains an open question.