At a time when millions of Bangladeshis are struggling under economic pressure, interim government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’s extravagant four-day visit to the United Kingdom has ignited a firestorm of criticism, with official documents revealing a staggering expenditure of nearly Bangladesh Taka (BDT) 6 crore— much of it reportedly funded by public money.
According to documents, the Bangladesh High Commission in London spent approximately £210,325 (BDT 3.48 crore) over four days, with a major chunk going toward luxury accommodation at The Dorchester Hotel, one of London’s most opulent addresses. Yunus himself stayed in the elite Dorchester Prestige Suite, costing £6,045 per night— a total of £24,180 or BDT 40,00,339.20.
Another member of his entourage, reportedly his daughter Deena Afroz Yunus, stayed in the second-most expensive suite at the hotel—The Dorchester Suite—which cost £20,000 (BDT 33,08,800) for the duration of the visit. In all, 37 rooms were booked by the delegation, with the total “bedroom spend” amounting to £198,135 or BDT 3.27 crore. The lowest room rate, for four Superior King Rooms, still clocked in at a lofty £19,800 (BDT 32.7 lakh).
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Sources in Bangladesh intelligence said establishment On June 12, the delegation also booked the Park Suite at the hotel for an event, paying £2,000 (BDT 3.3 lakh). Meals were equally lavish—dinner alone for the delegation over the four days cost £6,500 or BDT 10.75 lakh.
The total cost of the UK trip—including airfare, food, and incidentals—is estimated to have touched BDT 6 crore, despite no official meeting being held with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as was initially claimed by Yunus’s press office.
Critics say the delegation misrepresented the nature of the visit to justify taxpayer-funded luxury. In the weeks leading up to the trip, Yunus’s team publicised an “official agenda” that included a high-profile meeting with the British PM. However, after mounting scrutiny, Yunus was forced to admit no such meeting was ever scheduled.
Adding to the controversy, Yunus’s actual purpose for the visit appears to have been receiving the Harmony Award private meeting with BNP acting chairperson Tarique Rahman on June 13, a meeting many now view as politically motivated rather than diplomatically official.
This revelation comes at a time when Bangladesh is grappling with severe economic challenges. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, the country’s per capita income for 2024–25 stands at just $2,820. In the latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) by Transparency International, Bangladesh ranked 151 out of 180 countries, highlighting persistent governance issues.
With Yunus and his press team now cornered by undeniable evidence and public backlash, the incident is widely seen as a blatant example of elite privilege at the expense of an already burdened citizenry.
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