Yunus hails expat lifeline, banking wins in Ramadan rebound

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus took to Bangladesh Television Tuesday night with a rare smile. “Our expatriate brothers and sisters have breathed life into a wrecked economy,” he told the nation, crediting a remittance surge—$2.5 billion in February alone, up 25%—for easing the strain. 

From banking fixes to Ramadan price dips, he painted a picture of recovery, shadowed by the “looting festival” of the past.  

Expatriates: The economic vanguard 

“Remittance warriors are our brave soldiers,” Yunus said, voice steady with pride. Since the interim team took the helm, inflows have soared, hitting a record last month. He vowed simpler processes, better embassy support, and a push for expat voting rights in upcoming polls. “They shouldn’t suffer—we owe them that,” he added, eyes on their ballot-box future.  

Banking’s redemption 

The banks, once “pirate-seized” under Sheikh Hasina’s reign, are clawing back trust, Yunus declared. “Depositors’ money turned personal piggy banks— we’ve stopped that.” Restoring confidence was job one, he said—rules tightened, credibility rebuilt. “Order’s back in the economy,” he noted, calling it a cornerstone win.  

Exposing smugglers’ sham 

Then came the jaw-dropper: $33 million—Tk 4 billion—siphoned off as “education costs” for one child’s three-month stint abroad. “Shocking doesn’t cover it,” Yunus quipped, peeling back a fugitive regime’s tricks. Over 15 years, he said, $234 billion vanished in a “looting spree.” The methods? “Innovative,” he deadpanned, promising more light on the dark.  

Ramadan relief 

Yunus shifted to the now: “Commodity prices are down this Ramadan—people feel it.” From day one, his team tackled supply chains, power cuts, and Eid spikes. “We’ve held the line—no price jumps, no blackouts,” he said. News from across Bangladesh backs him up—relief’s real, and the effort’s not stopping.  

A flicker of hope 

The numbers agree. Inflation’s at 9.32%—a 22-month low—headed below 8% by June, Yunus predicted. “Sheikh Hasina’s 16-year plunder left us gutted,” he recalled, “but we’re turning it around.” Banking discipline’s back, economic indicators are ticking up, and the student uprising’s scars are starting to heal. “The biggest fight’s inflation,” he admitted. “We’re not done yet.”