Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus has said a key achievement during the UN visit was bringing political party leaders together.
“The good thing is that when coming to the UN, we brought along the leaders of political parties. They can mingle here because normally they do not speak to one another. So, we have brought them together and are providing opportunities to participate in various events,” he said at a reception organized with Bangladesh’s foreign friends during a break in the UN General Assembly.
“We are the outgoing government and they are the incoming government. In Bangladesh, they are always in disputes, but here they are attending events together, speaking to one another. This is a process of being together. Someone took a photo and said, ‘This is a united Bangladesh at the UN.’ I was in the same frame with the political leaders. It was a very good comment,” Yunus added.
Reflecting on his role, Yunus said: “I never imagined I would have to take such a role. A situation arose where there was no opportunity to say ‘no.’ Many people sacrificed their lives, and in exchange, the country was liberated. We had to take responsibility to bring stability and build a country of dreams for the youth. This was not a well-organized revolution but an expression of the anger of the past ten years. The situation was so bad that they could not tolerate it anymore.”
He credited university students with leading the uprising. “By students, I mean both boys and girls. A large portion of girls were involved. Bangladesh had never seen such a thing before. Even ten-year-old children took to the streets. They fought together, ready for death, and some were killed. This consciousness led to the July uprising.”
“Our job is to fulfill their wishes and realize their dreams. It is a difficult task. Yet we have promised that the work will be done and we will continually try. Through this, they want to build a New Bangladesh,” he said.
The chief adviser noted that the first anniversary of the July uprising was recently celebrated in Dhaka, with students painting scenes from the movement on the city walls. “These images could be washed away by rain, but we have captured them on camera. There was no plan or coordination; everyone participated from their own positions,” he said.
He added, “New Bangladesh means reform of everything that happened before. The goal is that the previous type of government should never return. Our main agenda is to establish justice for people, bring the guilty under the law, and hold elections. We announced elections on the first anniversary of the July uprising and said they would be held in the first half of February next year. Through elections, power will be handed over to an elected government.”
Acknowledging differing opinions, he said: “Everyone has their own plans; everyone says your plan is wrong, mine is correct. Whatever you do is not enough. It is clear that they want a rapid change. Aligning with their expectations is a big task for all of us.”