Staff Correspondent

The interim government’s chief adviser, Dr Muhammad Yunus, hopes to turn Bangladesh  into a nation of justice, human rights, and freedom of speech.

“We witnessed a historic political changeover just 100 days ago. Future Bangladesh will be based on justice, human rights, and freedom of speech,” he said while speaking at an international conference at a hotel in Dhaka on Saturday. The Center for Governance Studies, a private think-tank, hosted the conference titled ‘Bay of Bengal Conversation – 2024.’

The chief adviser said economic disparity, social injustice, and growing threats of climate change – all are big challenges on the pathway. Still, Bangladesh has repeatedly demonstrated ways of combating adverse situations.

Regarding the July mass uprising, he said it was a revolution of students and masses that toppled a fascist regime after 16 years of rule. For this, a total of 1,500 students, workers, and general protesters had to sacrifice their lives, while nearly 20,000 people suffered injuries.

“Through this international conference, let us pay our deepest respects to those who made the ultimate sacrifice, those who have lost their organs, vision, physical abilities for good, and those who are still fighting for their lives,” he said.

Addressing foreign guests, Dr Yunus praised the artwork that the youngsters drew on walls across the city.

“When you walk along the streets of Dhaka, you’ll be impressed by the colourful drawings expressing the emotions and aspirations of the youth. Nobody cannot help but be impressed with the artwork, as there were no designers, central planning, or funding from anyone ,” he noted.

Reflecting on broader issues, Dr Yunus blamed modern civilization for the people’s collective failure and mentioned it as a reason behind the race for profit, in addition to environmental woes.

“Let us build a new civilization based on three zeroes, where wealth will be distributed among all, instead of accumulating it,” he said.