The UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer turned down a request to meet Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus during his visit to London aimed at raising support for efforts to recover billions of dollars siphoned off by the deposed regime of Sheikh Hasina, the Financial Times reports.

Yunus told the British daily that the UK should feel “morally” obliged to help his government track down funds “stolen” by the Awami League-led regime, much of it allegedly now in the UK. However, Yunus said Starmer had not yet agreed to meet him.

Yunus said the objective of his trip to the UK was to bring out “more enthusiastic support” from the UK. Dr Yunus went to the United Kingdom on Tuesday for 4-days official visit, where he is likely to meet the acting Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Tarique Rahman, on Friday, reports Bangladesh Sanghbad Sangstha (BSS).