DHAKA : André Carstens, the outgoing Head of Mission of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, today paid a farewell call on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna here.
During their meeting, Carstens commended Prof Yunus for his leadership over the past year, particularly in steering Bangladesh through a transitional period following the ouster of the previous regime.
He highlighted Prof Yunus’s efforts in fostering democratic reforms and national unity. “People will remember you,” Carstens said.
The Dutch envoy also praised the recently unveiled “July Declaration,” describing it as a pivotal step in “bridging” the nation’s historical context with the aspirations of the July mass uprising.
He referred to the Chief Adviser’s announcement of the election timeline as “perfect,” indicating it sets the country on a path toward general elections.
They discussed the ongoing Rohingya crisis and the forthcoming international conference on the issue, scheduled to be held in September. The conference aims to address the humanitarian and political challenges faced by the Rohingya refugees.
In a gesture of solidarity, Carstens presented Prof Yunus a song with lyrics that he wrote for celebrating the spirit of the July Revolution led by Bangladesh’s Gen-Z. The lyrics, which Carstens put to music originally written by George Harrison for the song “Bangladesh”, recorded and accompanied by a video, was shared during the meeting.
“Bangladesh, Bangladesh Full of friendly people, doing fine Revolution paved the way For to say they want to say Not just a fairy tale, a holy grail For all the people of Bangladesh,” he writes.
“Bangladesh, Bangladesh Such a resurrection- the Gulf of Bengal
Revolution paved the way After many years astray Gen Z showed the way Turned a nightmare into a day,” he also writes.
Special Envoy to the Chief Adviser Lutfey Siddiq and SDG Coordinator Lamiya Murshed were also present during the meeting.
