Interim government Chief Advisor Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus is set to leave for a four-day official visit to the United Kingdom this evening.

According to his Deputy Press Secretary, Abul Kalam Azad Majumder, Dr. Yunus and his delegation will depart from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 7:30 PM on Monday (June 9) via an Emirates Airlines flight.

While officially labeled as a government visit, the main highlight appears to be Dr. Yunus receiving the King Charles Harmony Award. The Foreign Ministry in Dhaka has also indicated a possible bilateral meeting with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during the trip, although the schedule for that meeting has yet to be finalized.

Amid this, growing speculation surrounds a potential meeting between Dr. Yunus and BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman, who resides in London.

Citing key BNP sources in Dhaka, the BBC has reported that the initiative for such a meeting may have come from Dr. Yunus’s side. However, no formal statement has been issued by the government regarding this. Given the current political climate, there remains uncertainty over whether the meeting will actually take place.

Notably, Dr. Yunus will be accompanied by some high-profile individuals, including Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman Abdul Momen and Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H. Mansur—an inclusion many observers view as an unusual and significant move.