Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, during his meeting with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, on Thursday said Bangladesh progressed a lot but "should have done better" politically and democratically.

Dr Yunus sought support and advice from the fomer UN Secretary-General for a smooth transition to democracy in Bangladesh.

“We want to start anew; we need your support and advice. We are having a great opportunity now,” Dr Yunus told Ban Ki-moon as they met on the sidelines of the BOAO Forum Asia Annual Conference.

Ban Ki-moon, also Chairman of the Boao Forum for Asia, praised the leadership of Prof Yunus and said that under his leadership, Bangladesh will do much better.

“Bangladesh now has a leader in you who is respected worldwide,” said Ban Ki-moon.

The former UN Secretary-General recalled his role in seating up diplomatic relationships between Bangladesh and South Korea when he was a young diplomat posted in New Delhi.

Dr Yunus holds talks with Chinese Vice Premier, Ban Ki-moon, other foreign leaders 

“It was my pen that was used to sign the agreement to formalise Korea’s diplomatic relationship with Bangladesh,” he recalled.

Professor Yunus said that once Korea and Bangladesh were on the same line, but now Korea has zoomed ahead.

“People of Bangladesh are wonderful, but political leadership destroyed us,” he said.

Ban Ki-moon said that he introduced Bangladesh to Kihak Sung, the Chairman of Youngone Corporation and one of the most respectful business leaders in Korea, who later went on to expand his business in a specialised economic zone in Bangladesh.

The Chief Adviser said that Bangladesh recently settled a long-pending land issue with the Korean EPZ in Chattogram, hoping that it would encourage more Korean business people to invest in Bangladesh.

Asia must strengthen cooperation as destinies are intertwined: Dr Yunus

Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud, Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, informed the meeting that Kihak Sung would lead a 26-member strong business delegation from Korea in the upcoming Business Summit in Dhaka next month, Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder told UNB.

The Chief Adviser also sought Ban Ki-moon’s support in settling the Rohingya crisis and invited him to visit Bangladesh at an opportune time.