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Chief Adviser of the interim government, Dr Muhammad Yunus called upon the international community to continue and deepen engagements with Bangladesh in meeting its people’s quest for democracy, rule of law, equality, and prosperity.
“So that we can emerge as a just and inclusive democratic society,” the Nobel Laureate told in his madain speech at the UNGA on Friday.
In his speech, Dr Yunus highlighted the July student movement, that toppled the autocratic regime, and presented the reform initiatives of his government to the assembly of global leaders.
The Pact for the Future and the Declaration on Future Generations could help in setting pathways beyond Agenda 2030.
Bangladesh believes that the summit’s outcome will serve as a guiding framework in materialising our shared aspirations and rethinking collaboration, for posterity.
“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 to our nation an opportunity to overhaul many of our systems and institutions,” the CA said.
“The uprising led by the students and youth was intiailly aimed at ending discrimination. Progressively, the movement evolved into a people’s movement. The world eventually saw how people-at-large stood against autocracy, oppression, discrimination, injustice, and corruption, both on the streets and online”.
“Our people, particularly youth, gained us independence from an autocratic and undemocratic regime with their exceptional resolve and capability. That collective resolve should define Bangladesh of the future and place our nation as a responsive and responsible State in the comity of nations”.
“This was indeed a movement that primarily brought together people who were long left in politics and development. Who asked ‘prosperity’ to be shared, to be inclusive. The people aspired for a just, inclusive and functioning democracy for which our new generations made supreme sacrifice”.
“Even braving bullets, bare chest.
Young girls were fiercely vocal against the illegitimate State power.
School-going teenagers laid down their lives. Hundreds lost their eyes, forever.
Mothers, day labourers and scores of people across cities lenttheir shoulders, for “their children”.
“Bangladesh was born because of her people’s profound belief in liberalism, pluralism, secularism. Decades later, our ‘Generation Z’ is making us re-visit and re-imagine the very values that our people Bangladesh stood for back in 1971. As our people also did in 1952, to defend our mother language, Bangla” he added.
“We believe, the ‘monsoon revolution’ that the world witnessed in Bangladesh in the span of few weeks, may inspire many across communities and countries, to stand for freedom and justice. I would call upon the international community to engage with ‘new Bangladesh’ anew that aims to realize freedom and democracy, beyond letters, for everyone”.
About the goal of his government, he said, “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 business, how ‘chosen few’ concentrated wealth in their hands and amassed and laundered wealth out of Bangladesh. In all, justice, ethics and morality, almost at every level, reached a low”.
“A key priority for us is also to make all in public positions and institutions to account for their decisions and actions”.
“We are committed to promote and protect 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 freedom of press, including in the cyber domain”.
He assured the world community that hisgovernment shall adhere to all international, regional and bilateral instruments that Bangladesh is party to. “Bangladesh will continue to remain an active proponent of multilateralism, with the UN at the core,” he said.
About the steps taken by his government to try the perpetrators of the July massacre, the CA said, in just seven weeks, the Government has initiated several actions.
“At our request, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has dispatched a Fact-Finding Mission to investigate into the gross human rights violations during the people’s movement and to suggest for sustainable course correction. That Mission has already started work on the ground in Bangladesh. I wish to register my deep appreciation to High Commissioner Volker Turk”.
“In order to restore people’s trust and confidence, and to ensure that the tragic past never recur in future Bangladesh, we have intitiated reforms in certain prioritized sectors. In that direction, we launched independent Commissions to reform electoral system, constitution, judicial system, civil administration, law and order sectors . A few more Commissions are on the cards to reform other sectors, including press and media”.
“In order to create a conducive environment for business, we have rolled out extensive reforms in banking and financial sectors. We affirm not to let any foreign business interest to be affected.”
“Beyond rhetoric and numbers, we aim to establish effective safeguard mechanisms to ensure the sustainability of these reforms and create an enabling environment towards conduct of free, fair and participatory elections” Dr Yunus said.
Praising the role of the army, he said, “During the recent Revolution, our valiant armed forces have once again shown their commitment to peace by standing firmly with the people in fulfilling their aspirations for freedom during a most difficult time in our history”.
“This was possible thanks to our commitment to place human rights at the core of peacekeeping. Bangladesh remains equally committed to peace-building, from the inception of the UN Peace-building Commission. We look forward to promoting and enhancing Bangladesh’s value-driven contributions to the UN peace-keeping operations”.
“As the third largest troop contributing country, our peacekeepers had served across 63 Missions in 43 countries,to date. 168 Bangladeshi peacekeepers had laid their lives, from Bosnia to Congo. We do hope that Bangladesh defense forces would continue to be called upon in the future UN peace operations, regardless of the challenges or circumstances”.
He felt many of the global priorities need to be set right.
“Climate change poses existential threats to us all. The record-breaking heat wave this summer starkly reminded the world of the climate-induced changes”.
“What we need is climate justice – so that the irresponsible choices or, indifferent actions or, harms caused are accounted for. Long-term damages leave irreparable damages all-around: we are losing bio-diversity; changing pathogens leading to newer diseases; farming is under stress; shrinking water wealth threatening habitat; rising sea level and salinity decimating eco-systems”.
He said that countries like Bangladesh need access to live-saving technologies, particularly in agriculture, water or public health, where trickle of modest solutions or innovations can save millions of vulnerable population.
About the Gaza situation, he said the genocide in Gaza continues unabated despite global concerns and condemnation. ”The situation in Palestine just does not concern the Arabs or Muslims at large rather the entire humanity. Palestinians are no expendable people”.
“All those responsible for the crimes against humanity against the Palestinian people must be held accountable”.
“Bangladesh calls for an immediate and complete ceasefire to protect the Palestinian people from the brutalities, particularly against the children and women”.
International community, including the UN, needs to act in earnest to implement the two-state solution that remains the only path to bring lasting peace in the Middle-East, he said.
The two and half year long war in Ukraine has claimed far too many lives. The war has impacted far and wide, even lending deeper economic implications in Bangladesh. We would urge both sides to pursue dialogue to resolve the differences and end the war.
Regarding Rohingya crisis, the CA said, “Seven years on, Bangladesh has been hosting over 1.2 million Rohingyas on humanitarian ground, incurring significant social-economic-environmental costs”.
The protracted crisis in Myanmar also pose growing risks with national and regional security implications for Bangladesh, both traditional and non-traditional security challenges, he added.
“We remain committed to supporting the forcibly displaced Rohingyas from Myanmar in Bangladesh. We need continued support of the international community towards the Rohingyas in carrying out the humanitarian operations and their sustainable repatriation”.
“Equally important is to ensure justice for the grave human rights violations committed against the Rohingyas, through the ongoing accountability processes in the ICJ and the ICC, he added.
Dr Yunus said, “As this great Hall reverberates with crying call for peace, security, justice, inclusivity and equitable distribution of wealth, as States, we need to reflect on how we embolden men and women today, create space for them to grow as entrepreneurs tomorrow”.