Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has sought Indonesia's backing for Bangladesh’s bid to join ASEAN, while also encouraging Indonesia to open more business opportunities for Bangladeshis.
Professor Yunus made this call during a farewell meeting with Indonesian Ambassador Heru Hartanto Subolo at the Chief Adviser’s office in Tejgaon, Dhaka, on Sunday (November 3).
"I hope Indonesia will support us in obtaining ASEAN membership. This is very important for Bangladesh," Yunus said to the ambassador, adding that he also raised the issue with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during his recent visit to Bangladesh.
Malaysia is set to assume the ASEAN chairmanship in January.
Ambassador Subolo assured Yunus of Indonesia’s commitment to support Bangladesh’s interim government, saying, "Indonesia will closely follow Bangladesh's application for ASEAN membership and is prepared to offer any necessary assistance."
Reflecting on his visits to Indonesia for promoting microcredit, Yunus noted the limited presence of Bangladeshi businesses in the country. “One regret I have is that we see very few Bangladeshis in Indonesia. Bangladeshis are everywhere, but not here,” he said.
Yunus urged Indonesia to enroll more Bangladeshi students in their universities, recruit Bangladeshi doctors, and consider importing pharmaceuticals from Bangladesh.
Ambassador Subolo agreed to explore these opportunities and expressed satisfaction with the recent signing of an MoU between Pertamina Power Indonesia and Coal Generation Company Bangladesh Limited for solar PV projects in Matarbari and other areas.
Yunus also congratulated Indonesia’s new President Prabowo Subianto and extended an invitation for him to visit Bangladesh at a convenient time.