His Excellency Professor Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser to the Interim Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, received Dr. Salim AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), on Monday, October 6, 2025, at the presidency headquarters in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka.

During the meeting, Dr. AlMalik expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the warm welcome and generous hospitality, praising the efforts of the interim government in laying the foundations for a promising future for Bangladesh in the fields of education, culture, science, and the environment.

ICESCO Director-General commended the pioneering initiatives launched by Professor Muhammad Yunus throughout his international career, most notably the Grameen Bank for the poor and the “Three Zeros” initiatives (Zero Poverty, Zero Unemployment, Zero Net Carbon Emissions), in addition to the entrepreneurial incubator initiative supporting social and economic development.

Dr. AlMalik emphasized that cooperation between ICESCO and Bangladesh represents a distinguished model of partnership. He noted that during this visit, opportunities for collaboration were explored with several senior advisers and officials from the Ministries of Education; Culture; and Women and Children, and Social Affairs, with the aim of developing joint initiatives that support sustainable development in Bangladesh and other Member States.

He also announced that ICESCO’s 2026–2029 strategy will include the adoption of the “Three Zeros” initiatives as a cornerstone for achieving sustainable development, alongside integrating entrepreneurship as a key driver to support and empower youth to become active partners in shaping educational, cultural, and social policies and strategies.

For his part, Prof. Yunus highlighted the most successful initiatives in Bangladesh that could benefit ICESCO Member States reaffirming the commitment of the interim government to strengthen cooperation with the Organization in the fields of innovation and social development.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Dr. AlMalik presented the ICESCO Shield to Prof. Yunus in recognition of his international efforts and initiatives in sustainable development, poverty alleviation, and youth support.