Prof Yunus Seeks A Future Without Autocrats, Safeguarding Power For People

Prof Yunus Calls For Balanced Democratic Order, Pledges Reforms To Safeguard People’s Power

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Friday assured the international community that Bangladesh is committed to building a democratic system where no elected leader will ever be able to undermine democracy.

“Our goal is clear: to create a balanced democratic order—where no autocrat can return, no elected leader can destroy democracy, and those tasked with protecting citizens can never again exploit them,” he said while addressing the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, in the presence of global leaders and political representatives from Bangladesh.

With national elections due in February next year, Prof Yunus stressed that the interim government remains steadfast in advancing reforms that put citizens at the core.
“Our focus is unchanging: transparency, accountability, and the rule of law,” he said.

To achieve this vision, the interim government has set up eleven independent commissions covering governance, the judiciary, elections, law enforcement, anti-corruption, women’s rights, and other vital areas. These commissions consulted widely, studied in depth, and produced comprehensive reform proposals.

To secure permanence, Prof Yunus said a National Consensus Commission was formed, bringing together over thirty political parties and coalitions. Its most significant achievement came on the first anniversary of the July Uprising with the announcement of the “July Declaration”—a cross-party, time-bound pledge to carry reforms forward, regardless of who wins the next election.

“That commitment means the reform process will not stop, will not reverse, and will not be undone,” he said.

Prof Yunus recalled how, last year, he spoke before the UNGA from a country that had just emerged from a mass uprising. “Today, I stand here to tell you how far we have come on that journey,” he said, emphasizing that Bangladesh’s story matters not because of its population or location, but because it reflects “the extraordinary power of ordinary people.”

He underlined that Bangladesh’s struggles—dating back to 1971 and renewed through the 2024 July Uprising—were driven by youth who resisted tyranny and reclaimed rights. “It was our youth who opened the path to a new journey of building a just and equal society,” he said, noting that the responsibility to carry that vision forward now rests on his government.

The Chief Adviser highlighted that instead of pursuing easy executive decrees, his administration chose the more difficult but enduring path of inclusive, consensus-based reforms.

Prof Yunus also congratulated Annalena Baerbock on assuming the presidency of the UNGA as the fifth woman in history to hold the post, and extended Bangladesh’s full cooperation in her tenure. He marked the UN Charter’s 80th anniversary, praising the UN’s role in advancing peace, rights, and humanitarian relief, while acknowledging its limitations in resolving global conflicts.

“Yet, on the whole, its role has been overwhelmingly positive and beneficial for humanity,” he said.

Prof Yunus was accompanied by BNP Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, senior leaders from BNP, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, and National Citizen Party (NCP), along with key advisers and officials from the interim government.