Bangladesh Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus met with former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra at the Shangri-La Hotel in Bangkok on Friday (April 04). 

During the meeting, Professor Yunus enquired about the health of Thaksin, an old friend of the 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate.

Soon after taking office in 2001, then PM Thaksin visited Bangladesh and Grameen Bank with his colleagues and designed a microcredit programme for Thailand inspired by the success of the Grameen Bank microcredit program. Professor Yunus had been invited by Mr Thaksin as chief guest in the national launching of the programme that year. 

They also discussed the possible relaunch of the airline route between Chiang Mai and Chittagong, which had brought the flight time between Bangladesh and Thailand to one hour. Mr Thaksin recalled then Prime Minister Khaled Zia flying together from Chittagong to Chiang Mai on the inaugural flight. 

Professor Yunus and Mr Thaksin discussed other issues of mutual interest. The Chief Adviser sought Thaksin`s support for Bangladesh`s plan to become an ASEAN member. 

Professor Yunus also thanked the former Thai Prime Minister for his efforts to expand Thai-Bangladesh trade and cooperation during his time as the premier of the South East Asian nation.

He also sought his valuable support for cementing ties between the two countries and to help resolve the Rohingya crisis and bring peace to that region. 

During the meeting, they also discussed global trade issues and the expansion of microcredit and social businesses in rural Thailand.

Lamiya Morshed, senior secretary and SDG Affairs coordinator of the Bangladesh government, was present during the meeting.