Yunus’ Press Wing lies about meeting with UK premier Starmer

Netizens are slandering Shafiqul Alam, the most hated press secretary of the illegal interim government chief adviser, as he falsely claimed that UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is outside the country.

He made the comment when journalists asked him about the possible meeting between Muhammad Yunus and the UK premier on Tuesday.

“We have come to know that Keir Starmer is probably now in Canada; he is visiting Canada. A British parliamentary MP came today and informed us that he (Keir Starmer) is now in Canada,” Shafiqul said.

He added that they would continue their efforts, and a meeting between the chief adviser and the UK prime minister could be held if time and schedule permit.

However, UK sources and Bangla Tribune confirmed that Starmer is still in Britain.

Meanwhile, the Financial Times reports that the UK prime minister has declined a request to meet Yunus. UK government officials confirmed that there were no plans for Starmer to meet Yunus and declined to comment further.

Yunus is also going to skip a meeting with the UK’s former city minister, Tulip Siddiq, who invited Yunus to a meeting in Parliament, mentioning him in a tweet.

“I haven’t done anything wrong and I have nothing to hide. If you’re serious about finding out the truth, meet me in Parliament Muhammad Yunus – let’s talk,” she said.

Siddiq also sent a letter to Yunus to meet her in Parliament. But the press secretary said they had not received the letter.

Meanwhile, outside The Dorchester hotel at Park Lane, hundreds of activists from the UK and other European countries protested against Yunus, holding placards and wastebins and chanting slogans.

Yunus and his entourage arrived in London on Tuesday on a four-day trip.

Even though the press wing termed it a state visit, journalists have come to know that it was actually the chief adviser’s pleasure trip to meet businessmen, King Charles, and BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman.

The meeting between Yunus and Tarique may take place on Friday as the political tension in Bangladesh over the next general elections becomes uncertain due to the rivalry between them.

Yunus has been trying to delay the elections to April to give his King’s party—the National Citizen Party (NCP) and key ally Jamaat-e-Islami—some time for preparations. However, the BNP, most political parties, and the army chief remain adamant about the demand for polls before December.

Earlier, the Bangladesh Awami League expressed concern over Sir Starmer’s scheduled meeting with Yunus, warning that any formal meeting lends legitimacy to an unelected and unconstitutional administration.

A formal letter from the Awami League’s UK branch was sent to Downing Street, the Speaker of the House of Commons, the King’s Foundation, and the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Meanwhile, Chris Blackburn, the communications director at the European Bangladesh Forum, said it is concerning that Sir Starmer and King Charles may meet Yunus. This comes in the wake of mounting criticism from global human rights organisations such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Fortify Rights, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), and others, all raising alarm over the interim government’s behaviour.

In March this year, they sent a joint letter protesting the continued repression and attacks on free speech by Yunus’s administration.

This month, New York-based Human Rights Watch published its own report, stating, “Interim Government’s Arbitrary Targeting of Former Ruling Party Supporters Fails Accountability.” Mass arbitrary arrests are a hallmark of the interim government, a practice they promised to stop.