Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus Emphasizes the Need for Self-Reliance

Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus stated, "We need to be clear that we no longer want to be dependent on others. We must become self-reliant. Since we are currently dependent, we need to focus on getting out of this situation as quickly as possible. There is no other alternative."

He made these remarks during the meeting of the National Steering Committee, which was formed to implement and monitor the Smooth Transition Strategy aimed at making Bangladesh's transition from a Least Developed Country (LDC) to a sustainable, developed nation. The meeting was held to ensure the smooth and sustainable graduation of Bangladesh from its LDC status.

The meeting took place on Wednesday at the Chief Advisor's office in Tejgaon, Dhaka, where Professor Yunus chaired the session. After the meeting, the Chief Advisor's Press Secretary, Shafiqul Alam, briefed the media at the Foreign Service Academy, sharing detailed insights into the discussions.

Highlighting the importance of building a self-reliant Bangladesh, Professor Yunus emphasized, "To achieve this, we need to change our mindset. Becoming self-reliant requires intelligence, hard work, and a willingness to fight. Although it is a challenging task, there is joy in this struggle. The new Bangladesh we talk about is a self-reliant Bangladesh."

He further stated, "Our nation has enough strength to stand on its own feet. Youth and creativity are our strengths. We have the power and the opportunity to harness these. We must utilize this energy to build a self-reliant economy and free our nation from subjugation. We no longer wish to live in bondage."

The meeting was attended by several key officials, including Economic Advisor Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed, Trade Advisor Sheikh Bashiruddin, Industry Advisor Adilur Rahman Khan, Foreign Affairs Advisor Mohammad Touhid Hossain, Agriculture Advisor Brigadier General (Retd.) Dr. M. Sakhawat Hossain, Planning Advisor Wahiduddin Mahmud, Home Affairs Advisor Lieutenant General (Retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Environment Advisor Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor Dr. Anisuzzaman Chowdhury, Chief Secretary of the Chief Advisor's Office Siraj Uddin Mia, Governor of Bangladesh Bank Ahsan H. Mansur, Chairman of the NBR Mohammad Abdur Rahman Khan, Special Envoy for International Affairs of the Chief Advisor Lutfur Siddiqui, Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor for Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology Ministry Faiz Ahmed Taiyeb, Chief Coordinator for SDGs Lamia Morshed, and senior officials from the Economic Relations Division.

Additionally, leaders from the business community, including BGMEA President Mahmud Hassan Khan, FBCCI President Mahbubul Alam, Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Taskeen Ahmed, and Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries President Abdul Muktadir, were also present at the meeting.