Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Friday proposed four agendas for the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) as he delivered his speech at the 6th Bimstec Summit.
The chief adviser suggested harnessing the power of the youth, saying Bangladeshi youths are showing strong intent and taking action from the front, even working to reform some long-established notions in governance.
He proposed rolling out a more inclusive set of actions to augment AI and related Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) tools and applications that connect farming, learning, and health, particularly for the vast small-holder population across the region.
Yunus recommended opening up all possible avenues for Bimstec countries and communities to vigorously engage in the knowledge sphere—to generate, innovate, and share their wealth of capacities.
He also proposed establishing an ecosystem where actors beyond governments can join hands with Bimstec to address pressing challenges, whether in public health, natural disasters, or climate adaptation.
“Time is not on our side. We have to transform, not just make a transition. That is why Bangladesh intends to champion a world of three zeros: zero poverty, zero unemployment, and zero carbon,” Yunus said.
As Bangladesh is set to take over the Chairmanship of Bimstec for the next two years at the end of the Summit, he said it looks forward to welcoming all leaders of Bimstec in Dhaka.
