Right after landing in Dhaka amidst warm welcome, surrounded by students, Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus on Thursday said restoring law and order in the country would be his first task.
“If you have faith in me, if you have confidence in me, make sure nobody will be attacked. That would be our first task. If I cannot do this, if you don’t listen to me, I don’t need to be here. You must demonstrate that you are listening to me. Rescue the country from disorder and violence,” said Dr Yunus who will lead the interim government, scheduled to take oath tonight.
He referred to the attacks, violence, destruction of properties, including attacks on minorities, and said these are part of conspiracy but their job is to protect everyone.
“Violence and disorder are the biggest enemies towards progress. It is the biggest enemy of our journey that has just begun. Restoring law and order is our priority. Until law and order are restored, we cannot take steps to proceed,” he said.
Dr Yunus said the revolution through which Bangladesh created a “second Victory Day” should be kept in front and strengthened while moving forward.
“Thanks to those who made it possible. It is our pledge that the new Bangladesh can move at a fast pace,” he said.
Remembering Abu Sayeed, he said the incredibly brave young man, standing in front of the gun, ignited a spark and no young man has given up since then, which led to the revolution.
“This freedom has to reach every home, otherwise this freedom has no meaning; being free means change for everyone,” Dr Yunus
said. He said the interim government’s job is to carry out what the people have achieved. “People do not trust the government, seeing it as an instrument of repression—something to be manipulated. The government cannot be like this, it must be something that will make people’s hearts swell and be a place of trust.”
Calling all of Bangladesh “a family,” the Nobel laureate said, “Those who were at fault should be given a chance to be corrected.”
Talking about attackers, he said, “Let these enemies understand, hand them over to law, they have to be punished—not beaten. You have to bring that trust.”
An Emirates flight (EK-582) carrying Dr Yunus landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 2:10 pm local time today.
Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral M Nazmul Hassan welcomed Dr Yunus upon his arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
Dr Asif Nazrul, student representatives, Yunus Centre Executive Director Lamiya Morshed, Chief Executive Officer of Brotee Sharmeen Murshid and representatives of the civil society, among others, were seen at the airport.
Before leaving Paris, where he had been attending the Olympics, Dr Yunus appealed for calm in Bangladesh amid tensions over the country’s future.
Yunus was named as interim leader following talks among military officials, civic leaders and the student activists who led the uprising against Sheikh Hasina.
He made his first public comments in the French capital on Wednesday before boarding a plane to return home.
He is due to be sworn in on Thursday night by President Mohammed Shahabuddin.
Yunus congratulated the student protesters, and he appealed to them and other stakeholders to remain peaceful, while condemning the violence that followed Hasina’s resignation Monday.
“Violence is our enemy. Please don’t create more enemies. Be calm and get ready to build the country,” Yunus said.
The Nobel laureate known as the “banker to the poor” urged the people of the country to get ready to build the country, shunning any violence which he considers as an enemy.
“This is our beautiful country with lots of exciting possibilities. We must protect and make it a wonderful country for us and for our future generations,” he said in a statement on Wednesday, a day before his arrival in Dhaka.
Dr Yunus, 84, who won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, said the youth is ready to give leadership in creating a new world.
