Amid international debates and speculation surrounding Bangladesh's July uprising, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus had a significant responsibility at the UN General Assembly to articulate the true aspirations and intentions of the people of Bangladesh. We commend the chief adviser for eloquently sharing these sentiments with the international community in his speech at the UNGA. Yunus rightly praised the courage and determination of the people of Bangladesh, the armed forces, and particularly the youth, for standing up against injustice, corruption, and suppression of basic rights that characterised the previous autocratic government. He invited all countries across the world to deepen their engagement with Bangladesh in its quest for democracy, the rule of law, equality, and prosperity.

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From vision to action: Prof Yunus’s reform agenda for Bangladesh

Previously, the international community appreciated Bangladesh's economic growth but remained critical of its democratic and human rights deficits, which Bangladesh is determined to improve. Yunus reminded the international community that Bangladesh was born out of its people's profound belief in liberalism, pluralism, and secularism. In accordance with those values, new generations of Bangladeshis have inspired the entire nation to reimagine a better, more egalitarian, and inclusive Bangladesh.

That said, the chief adviser also provided an intellectual outline not only for Bangladesh but for the international community to create a more prosperous, peaceful, and sustainable world. He highlighted two existential threats to human civilisation: the first being climate change, of which Bangladesh is among the worst sufferers, and the second being the threat of unrestrained development of artificial intelligence, which could devastate the job market. Unless the global community takes the matter of climate justice and climate change seriously, all forms of advancement and economic gains may get washed away by climate catastrophes.

Yunus also mentioned the need for the international community to proactively work to end all wars. He pointed out the tragedy unfolding before the whole world in Gaza and expressed the urgency of ending the genocide being carried out against Palestinians. He also emphasised the necessity of ending the war in Ukraine, both to save lives and to restore global stability. The chief adviser further called on the international community to help address the instability in Myanmar, and to help Bangladesh repatriate the Rohingya community back to their homeland. The international community must realise that the crisis in Myanmar not only poses growing risks for Bangladesh, but for the regional security of South Asia.

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Dr Yunus’s address and the path forward

Another important point raised by the chief adviser is the massive amounts of wealth that are annually siphoned out of developing countries by the corrupt. One of the best ways developed countries can assist developing nations is by preventing illicit financial flows and the siphoning off of resources from these nations—or by returning these assets. We hope the international community will fully cooperate with the interim government to recover the wealth siphoned out of Bangladesh by the previous regime to assist the country in its development and democratic journey.