'Our Gen Z making us revisit values our people stood in 1971': Muhammad Yunus at UN

New York [US], September 27 : Chief Advisor to the interim Bangladesh government, Muhammad Yunus, hailed his countrymen for the massive anti-government protests that led to the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, and said that the generation Z made the country revisit the values it was born out of in 1971.
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, Yunus affirmed hope that the collective resolve should define the "Bangladesh of the future."
"I stand in this parliament of nations, thanks to a transformation that Bangladesh witnessed this July and August. The power of the ordinary people, particularly our youth, presented to our nation an opportunity to overhaul many of our systems and institutions," Yunus said at the 79th session of the UNGA.
"The uprising led by the students was initially aimed at ending discrimination. Progressively, the movement evolved into a people's movement. The world eventually saw how people stood against autocracy, oppression, discrimination, injustice and corruption, both on the streets and online," he added.
Lauding the Bangladeshi youth for the student-led protests, Yunus referred the Sheikh Hasina regime as "autocratic" and "undemocratic" regime.
"Our people, particularly youth gained us independence from an autocratic, undemocratic regime with an exceptional resolve. The collective resolve should define the Bangladesh of the future and place our nation as a responsible state in the committee of the nations...This was indeed a movement that brought people who were long left in politics and development," the chief advisor said.
"We were moved by the wisdom, courage, conviction our youth showed. Young girls were fiercely vocal against illegitimate state power. School-going children laid down their lives, people lost their eyes forever," he added.
Recalling the independence of Bangladesh, the head of the interim government hoped that the evolution inspires many across the globe to stand for "freedom" and "justice."
"Bangladesh was born because of her people's profound belief in liberalism, pluralism and secularism. Decades later, our generation Z is making us revisit and reimagine the very values that our people stood back for back in 1971 as our people also did in 1952 to defend our mother language Bangla," Yunus said.
He added, "We believe this evolution that the world witnessed in the span of few weeks may inspire many across communities, and countries to stand for freedom and justice."
Appreciating the 'Pact of the Future' adopted at UNGA, he said, "The Pact of the Future and the declaration of the future could help setting pathways beyond Agenda 2030. Bangladesh believes the summit's outcome will serve as a guiding framework and materialising our shared aspirations and rethinking collaborations for prosperity."
Notably, Bangladesh witnessed Sheikh Hasina's ouster amid students' protests turned into a massive anti-government movement, followed by the establishment of an interim government.
During this turbulent period, several incidents of violence and chaos, particularly targeting minorities, including Hindus, have been reported from Bangladesh.
Yunus was sworn in on August 8 as the head of an interim government after Sheikh Hasina fled the country and the parliament was dissolved.