Even for those of us familiar with his charisma and talent on the world stage, Dr Yunus’s masterful performance at the UNGA this past week has been something to behold.
Watching him win over a global audience of dignitaries from Joe Biden on down was a timely reminder of what safe hands we are in at such a fraught moment in our history.
The stakes could not have been higher. The battle facing Dr Yunus and his government is not merely internal but also external, and establishing a positive narrative for the country and his government is crucial to our success, indeed even our stability.
In today’s interconnected world it matters immensely to our economy how Bangladesh is perceived overseas, and all the good work the government is doing inside the country to right the ship of state needs to be supplemented with the message to global markets and buyers that Bangladesh has a steady hand on the tiller.
This is what Dr Yunus and his crack team have spent the past few days establishing, and the message has been delivered loud and clear: Bangladesh is back in business and Bangladesh has never been better.
This is precisely why we need Dr Yunus as the chief adviser at this moment in time, something more or less all Bangladeshis, with the exception of the loyalists of the disgraced former regime who of course have their own axe to grind, understand. This is why there is such an unprecedented consensus behind his leadership.
Not only is he the only Bangladeshi with the acceptance needed inside the country to be able to hold the country together during this time of upheaval and transition, but he is also the only one who has the stature globally to bring on board all the relevant international players to ensure that Bangladesh has the breathing space, good will, and cooperation it needs to get back on its feet.
No one else but he could do it, that much is certain. But the extent of his success has surpassed all expectations. He has absolutely taken centre stage at the UNGA, the man everyone wants to meet, the man everyone wants to listen to. This one turn has done Bangladesh’s reputation on the world stage more good than the past 15 UNGAs combined.
The genuine respect Dr Yunus enjoys among the community of world leaders is an asset that could and should have been used to the nation’s benefit long ago, and he would have been very willing to have lent his talents in the service of building up Bangladesh’s brand.
Sadly, the erstwhile powers that be had other ideas, and spent the last 15 years denigrating him in a manner that in the end did a disservice only to themselves, as well as, unfortunately, the country as a whole.
And of course it is this continued denigration, not just of himself, but also of the interim government and indeed Bangladesh itself, that Dr Yunus has been battling to dispel in New York.
It has really been shocking to see the campaign of misinformation, disinformation, and denigration coming from across our border. It is not only neighbouring government officials, but heavyweights in the media and political establishments, including an unfortunate line-up of once-respected former ambassadors to Bangladesh who have dismissed Dr Yunus as “unelected” and “illegitimate” and the interim government as by turns “army-backed” and “Ismalist” and tried to portray Bangladesh as an anarchic wasteland where minorities are hunted for sport.
There is even a sophisticated lobbying operation reaching out to lawmakers across North America, peddling disinformation about the situation in Bangladesh. Given the massive onslaught that we are facing there is only so much that the Bangladesh government and its well-wishers in the media and on social media can do to counteract this campaign of deceit and malevolence that seems designed only to destabilize the interim government.
This is why one to one meetings with the likes of Joe Biden and Justin Trudeau make such a difference. Dr Yunus in his person is the best refutation to the charge that he is leading an anti-minority, Islamist government. To meet him and engage with him is to instantly understand that these claims are ludicrous and that the charges against his government have no basis in fact.
It is a shame that Indian PM Narendra Modi didn’t see fit to meet with Dr Yunus in New York, as had been repeatedly requested by the Bangladeshi side. Perhaps such a meeting would have helped allay whatever reservations he has about Dr Yunus and the interim government.
Bangladesh has said many times that such is the propinquity between our two nations that there is no alternative to cooperation and allyship. Bangladesh wants nothing more than good relations with our neighbour. We can afford nothing less.
The ball is now squarely in India’s court. Perhaps it is time for them to come to terms with the fact that as far as their interests are concerned Dr Yunus is by far the best game in town and that they achieve nothing by dismissing him as a leader or destabilizing his government.
It is in everyone’s interests -- even, I am tempted to say, especially, India’s -- that the interim government succeeds.
No one benefits from instability in Bangladesh, and therefore the smart move would be to accept the olive branch that Dr Yunus has extended and come on board with the rest of the world that recognizes that something remarkable and worthy of support is happening in Bangladesh today.
It’s never too late for a fresh start.
Zafar Sobhan is Editor, Dhaka Tribune.
