The
United Nations will support Bangladesh in wide ranging areas including police
and election reforms as the interim government rolls out major restructuring of
the country's institutions, said the UN's resident coordinator in Dhaka.
Yesterday
(Sunday, September 22) the chief of UN in Bangladesh, Gwyn Lewis, came up with
assurance when she paid a courtesy call on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad
Yunus at his Tejgaon office.
During
the meeting, they discussed reforms, corruption, floods, Rohingya crisis and
the UN-led investigation on the July-August carnage.
Gwyn
Lewis expressed her support for the reform initiatives undertaken by the
interim government and she thanked Professor Yunus "for taking up
extraordinary role" as the head of the post-revolution administration.
The
Chief Adviser said this was the "most unifying moment" for the whole
nation and the main job of his government was to "set an example" for
everyone.
"This
is a great opportunity for the country to reform the economy and fix almost
every institution," he said.
Gwyn
Lewis enquired about the reforms in the security forces including police
administration.
The
chief adviser said the government has made police reform a top of its
priorities.
He
said the government was also committed to setting up an integrated national IT
system, which will ease hassles and cut corruption in the country.
Prof
Yunus said the government has also formed a commission to make major reform in
the electoral system so that votes can be held in a free and fair manner.
Lewis
said the UN-led investigation team has already started working on the murders
and mayhem committed during July and August.
She
said UN agencies, WHO and ILO, were looking at ways to help the injured victims
and people who were traumatised by the events.
The
UN resident coordinator said the UN has provided four million dollars for the
post flood rehabilitation in the country's eastern and southern region.
She
said some 18 million people in Bangladesh have been hit by floods since the
beginning of the monsoon and the UN was coordinating aid from the agencies and
charities for the flood victims.
Prof
Yunus sought UN help for instituting an early warning system for floods in
South Asia.
They
also discussed environmental, climate change and the Chittagong Hill Tracts issues,
with Lewis outlining the aid work the UN agencies have done in the three hill
districts.
Prof
Yunus sought UN help for building a better future for the Rohingya children in
the camps, saying "a whole generation of angry young people is growing up
there".