Bangladesh’s student-led ‘uprising’ to inspire everyone to stand for freedom, justice: Yunus

The student-led mass uprising in Bangladesh may inspire people worldwide to stand up for freedom and justice, says Muhammad Yunus, chief advisor to the interim government, reports bdnews24.com.

In his address to the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly on Friday, the Nobel laureate urged the international community to engage with a new Bangladesh that aims to truly realise the ideals of freedom and democracy.

“I stand in this parliament of nations thanks to an epochal transformation that Bangladesh witnessed this July and August. The 'power of the ordinary people', in particular our youth, presented our nation an opportunity to overhaul many of our systems and institutions,” he said.

At the start of July, students and job seekers launched protests against the quota system for government jobs in Bangladesh. On Jul 16, six people, including Abu Sayed from Rangpur, were shot dead by police, intensifying the protests.

As violence spread and hundreds of lives were lost, the Anti-discrimination Student Movement, the main platform for the protesters, started calling for a one-point demand – the resignation of the Awami League government. On Aug 5, in the face of the mass movement, Sheikh Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled to India.

Three days later, on Aug 8, an interim government led by Yunus took power.

“Our people, particularly youth, gained us independence from an autocratic and undemocratic regime with their exceptional resolve and capability. That collective resolve should define the Bangladesh of the future and place our nation as a responsive and responsible state in the comity of nations.”

"The world eventually saw how people-at-large stood against autocracy, oppression, discrimination, injustice and corruption, both on the streets and online."

Yunus took time in his speech to memorialise those lost in the violence.

“Defying sweat, rain and fear of death, they defeated all the evil designs and machinations of the few who manipulated the state machinery against truth and just aspirations of people for years.”

“The people’s movement left an estimated over 800 martyrs in the hands of the autocratic regime.”

‘Generation Z’ is making the people ‘revisit and reimagine’ the values of liberalism, pluralism, and secularism with which Bangladesh was born, he said.

Yunus said the youth had entrusted the interim government with the ‘enormous responsibility’ of re-constructing the ‘decaying’ state infrastructure.

“As we took to the office, to our utter shock and dismay, we discovered how endemic corruption a ‘functioning democracy’ was brought to farce, how key institutions were ruthlessly politicised, how public coffers were reduced to rubble, how oligarchs took over businesses, how a ‘chosen few’ concentrated wealth in their hands and amassed and laundered wealth out of Bangladesh. Justice, ethics and morality, almost at every level, reached a low. “

“Under such circumstances, we were asked to rebuild Bangladesh and give back the country to the people. To correct the ills of the past as also build a competitive and agile economy, and a just society.”

The chief advisor vowed to prioritise accountability, freedom, and good governance across all sectors under the interim government. In particular, he highlighted the interim government's commitment to people's rights.

“In a drastically changed scenario, all political parties are now free to voice their views and opinions,” he said.

“We are committed to promoting and protecting the fundamental rights – for people to speak in freedom, to assemble without fear or inhibition, to vote whosoever they choose, to uphold the independence of the judiciary, and the freedom of the press, including in the cyber domain.”

This year, the UNGA theme is “Leaving no one behind: acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for present and future generations.”

Yunus arrived in New York on Sept 23 to attend the 79th session of the UNGA and other high-level events.

He met world leaders and the heads of international organisations including US President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and UN Secretary General Anthony Guterres on the sidelines of the UNGA.

The chief advisor is scheduled to leave the US for Dhaka at 9:30pm New York local time on Friday.