UK PM Keir Starmer declined a meeting with Bangladesh interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus during his London visit, sparking diplomatic tension. Amid protests and political criticism, Yunus sought UK support to recover stolen funds from the ousted Awami League regime but failed to secure key engagements.
In what is being perceived as a significant diplomatic rebuff, United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer has reportedly refused to meet with Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government, during Yunus’s ongoing four-day visit to London. According to a report published by the Financial Times, Yunus had requested a meeting with Starmer in an effort to garner international support for the recovery of billions of dollars allegedly siphoned off by the ousted Awami League regime under Sheikh Hasina.
Yunus, a Nobel laureate and the interim head of Bangladesh’s current government, has been actively appealing to Western nations to assist in tracking and recovering stolen national funds. He told the British daily that the UK has a “moral obligation” to aid in identifying and repatriating illicitly transferred money, much of which he claims now resides within the UK’s financial system. Despite these appeals, the UK Prime Minister’s office has confirmed that Starmer has no scheduled plans to meet Yunus, without elaborating on the reasons for the refusal.
Shafiqul Alam’s propaganda reaches to International level‼️
🔸Dr. Yunus couldn’t meet with British PM Kier Starmer.
Press Sec. Shafiqul stated toward media that, meeting wasn’t held because of Starmer’s Canada visit.
🔸But on that moment Starmer was in UK.@NIA_India @Iyervval pic.twitter.com/UsSj7BsFPU— BANGLADESH CRISIS 🇧🇩 (@BDcrisis) June 11, 2025
Yunus arrived in the UK on Tuesday for what his team described as an official diplomatic mission. One of his primary aims, he stated, was to “bring out more enthusiastic support” from the British government for his administration’s anti-corruption efforts. While a meeting with Starmer appears to be off the table, Yunus did meet UK National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell at his hotel on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Yunus’s visit has sparked controversy and public demonstrations across London. Hundreds of protestors—many from the UK-based Awami League community and expatriate Bangladeshis who claim they fled the country due to the interim government’s crackdown—gathered outside Heathrow Airport and a Central London hotel to denounce Yunus. Waving black flags and holding placards labelling him as a “killer of freedom fighters” and a “promoter of radicalism,” the protestors chanted slogans such as “Go back Yunus.” Witnesses reported that demonstrators hurled eggs and even shoes at Yunus’s motorcade as it made its way from the airport to the hotel.
This is just embarrassing for Bangladesh.
Was it necessary to announce the meeting with UK PM Keir Starmer in advance?
Read the article, you’ll see what a novice CA Yunus is as a head of state. Careless statements all around.
CA Yunus will have to push hard for that meeting! pic.twitter.com/ZLplLG2UXn
— Babar Honey (@BabarHoneyX) June 11, 2025
Protestors also called for the immediate release of Hindu priest Chinmoy Krishna Das, who is currently detained in Bangladesh. They accused Yunus of undermining religious harmony and human rights, asserting that he should face legal accountability himself.
Adding to the diplomatic tension, a formal letter from the UK chapter of the Awami League was sent to key British institutions, including 10 Downing Street, the House of Commons, the King’s Foundation, and the Commonwealth Secretariat. The letter warned against offering legitimacy to the Yunus-led administration, citing concerns over Bangladesh’s deteriorating political and human rights situation under his interim leadership.
“The UK government’s decision to engage with Muhammad Yunus would send a damaging signal to the world about the importance of democracy, women’s rights, and the rule of law,” the letter stated. It pointed to ongoing economic challenges in Bangladesh and alleged repression against political dissidents, minorities, and women.
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Despite the backlash and the British government’s apparent distancing, Yunus is expected to continue his engagements in the UK, with a potential meeting scheduled for Friday with Tarique Rahman, the acting chairman of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The visit is being closely watched by diplomatic observers as the political situation in Bangladesh remains fluid and volatile.
The British government’s decision not to grant Yunus an audience with Prime Minister Starmer may reflect a cautious approach to avoid endorsing a controversial interim leadership amid ongoing political turmoil in Bangladesh. For Yunus, the denial represents a major diplomatic setback in his campaign to gain broader international legitimacy and support.
