The country is now in the hands of the young people: Dr Yunus

The country is now in the hands of the young people, said Dr Prof Muhammad Yunus, the to-be chief adviser of the new government.

"I urge them to rebuild the nation according to their wishes, so that the world looks at us and learn how to get back on one's own feet. We need to change our state structure and remove all elements of fear from it, so that people look at it and think that the state has been formed to safeguard them," at a press conference he held after landing in the Dhaka airport today (8 August). 

Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral M Nazmul Hassan welcomed Prof Yunus upon his arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The coordinator of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement were also present at the time.

He went on to say, "I urge young people to embrace the new and let go of the old. We will not achieve freedom by merely dwelling on the past. This is not just true for Bangladesh, but for the entire world. Harness your energy and creativity. It is about expression, not establishment."

Prof Yunus said, "The youth have achieved great things, and now it's time to put that to use. We must overhaul the entire system."

Anarchy impediment to development, stop those committing crimes

Anarchy and violence are impediments to development, and those who are committing crimes must be stopped, Dr Yunus said.

"I've heard that vandalism and violence are going on in the country. Attacks of all kinds, including on minorities, have to stop. These attacks are part of a conspiracy- they have nothing to do with us," said Dr Md Yunus.

'Bangladesh achieved independence for the second time'

Terming the events of Monday (5 August) as a moment of pride, Dr Yunus said, "I thank the young generation of the country for protecting and giving rebirth to our country. We've achieved independence for the second time, and we have to preserve this newfound freedom."

Mentioning that the revolution forged a new path to victory for Bangladesh, he said, "We must keep it forward with even greater determination." 

He emphasised the importance of safeguarding the independence and ensuring its benefits reach every citizen. 

"Freedom without equitable distribution is meaningless. Bangladesh's independence signifies profound transformation — a change in people, opportunities, and the trajectory of future generations," Yunus added.

He extended heartfelt gratitude to the youth, the architects of this triumph. 

"They were the saviours who gave birth to a new nation. We have to ensure that Bangladesh move forward rapidly," he added.

Yunus vows to move forward together, bring changes

Expressing a wish to move forward together, Dr Yunus promised to eradicate all confusions, saying, Anarchy and violence are impediments to development, and we need to refrain those who are committing these crimes."

During the briefing, the nobel laureate shared his vision to restructure the law enforcement agencies, saying, "We will rebuild our law enforcement agencies in a way so that we can look up to them and follow their directions."

"The journey starts from today," Yunus concluded.

Dr Prof Muhammad Yunus also vowed to bring changes to the state structure of Bangladesh, expressing his commitment towards turning the interim government a people-friendly institution. 

'Abu Sayed is in the hearts of all'

In a highly-charged environment, the Nobel laureate, in an emotional speech, recalled the sacrifices made by students whose protests were met with a heavy-hand by the Sheikh Hasina-led government, leading to over 250 deaths. 

He spoke about Abu Sayeed, who was shot to death by police in Rangpur, breaking down in tears in the press conference he held after landing in the Dhaka airport (8 August). 

"Abu Sayed's image is in the heart of every person in Bangladesh. No one will be able to forget it. The incredible courageous youth was standing in front of the guns. His courage ignited a spark that has never dimmed. Inspired by his example, no youth accepted defeat and started marching forward," he said.

"They [youths] said how much bullets you would fire. We will not deviate from our pledge to disseminate the message in every houses so that people could know the meaning of the new independence," he said.

Thousands had gathered at the airport to greet Yunus.

The 84-year-old asked the countrymen to place their faith in him, promising no harm would come to anyone, and again urged people to ensure calm.

Flanked by coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, Yunus said, "If you think I am not needed, let me know and I will go back to my earlier work. But if you put your faith in me, then I urge you all to heed my call."

Yunus had left for Dhaka from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris on Wednesday and had a layover at Dubai. His flight (EK-582) from Dubai started at 10am BST. 

Yunus was in France for a minor medical procedure. 

During a meeting between a 13-member team of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement leadership with President Mohammed Shahabuddin and the chiefs of three military forces two days ago, it was decided that Yunus would be the chief adviser of the interim government.

"An interim govt will be announced within 24 hours," Nahid Islam, one of the coordinators of the student movement, told the media around 12:15am on Tuesday.

"We have presented a list of 10-15 individuals. We will not publish the list now as it is not confirmed yet. We will sit with all political parties to discuss the list."

Nahid also said, "Dr Yunus is not in the country yet. He will return tomorrow."