BSS, Dhaka

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus has urged the countrymen to cooperate with the interim government to accomplish reforms, announcing formation of six commissions to carry out the job.

“We want reforms. It is our sincere request – please don’t go to the spectators’ gallery after bestowing the key responsibility of reform on us. Stay with us. We will do the reform together. It is the responsibility for all,” he said in a televised address to the nation this evening.

Bangladesh Television, BTV World and BTV Chittagong and private television channels aired his 33-minute address simultaneously.

Yunus called upon all to bring reform to their own world too, saying bringing reform to a nation does not mean only reform of the government.

“Bring reform in your business if you are a businessman. Business groups should bring reforms through their respective associations. Bring reforms in associations. Rewrite the constitution of the associations. If you are a worker, you should bring reform in your work,” he said.

“If you are a political leader or activist, bring reform in your field. Bring reform in your organisation if you are the head of the organisation.

I urge everyone to take this as an opportunity. Through this reform, we want to start a new journey as a nation. We all expect that this journey would establish us as a respectable nation in the world,” the chief adviser said.

Yunus, who took the helm of the interim government following the fall of an autocratic regime in a student-people uprising, said the fascist government in Bangladesh has fallen in the face of the historic July uprising of students, workers and masses and the sacrifice of thousands of people.

“We have got an unprecedented time and opportunity to implement the message and aspirations of this mass-upsurge,” he said.

It has become necessary to complete some national reforms in order to implement the aspirations and prevent the recurrence of fascism or autocratic rule in Bangladesh and introduce a state system based on people’s ownership, welfare-oriented and dedicated to public interest, he said.

The chief adviser said one of the central points of the reform plans is to establish a fair election system and good governance.

“As we believe in people’s voting rights and people’s ownership, the improvement of the electoral system has been given importance in our reform plans. We think, it is in no way acceptable to impose tyranny and misrule of the majority on the people in the name of elections or to keep all the power monopolized to one person or family or any group,” he said.