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National, 11 June, 2025 : Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey has expressed the organization’s keen interest in assisting Bangladesh with its political and constitutional reforms ahead of next year’s national election. This statement was made during a meeting with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus in London on Tuesday (June 10).
Botchwey stated, “If Bangladesh desires, particularly for constitutional reforms, we are ready to cooperate.” She highlighted that supporting member states in establishing democracy and good governance is one of the Commonwealth’s top priorities for the next five years. Additionally, promoting trade and investment and aiding member states in combating climate change are also key objectives of the organization.
Referring to the Commonwealth as a platform for 2.7 billion people, Botchwey noted that the annual trade volume among member states currently stands at approximately USD 850 billion, with plans to elevate it to at least USD 1 trillion in the coming years. She added that the Commonwealth aims to assist small member states affected by climate change in accessing climate financing.
Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus urged the Commonwealth Secretary-General to explore opportunities in the sports sector and enhance youth engagement among member states. He said, “Sports is not just entertainment; it embodies a social perspective. We are encouraging athletes to become entrepreneurs. Sports can be a great medium to make the Commonwealth memorable.”
Botchwey announced that a youth program will be organized in Dhaka later this month. With 1.5 billion young people in the Commonwealth, efforts are underway to involve them in various activities, including plans to restructure Commonwealth scholarships.
The meeting was attended by National Security Adviser Dr. Khalilur Rahman, Special Envoy to the Chief Adviser Lutfe Siddiqui, Senior Secretary for SDGs Lamiya Morshed, and Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Abida Islam.
AI/MR
