After taking over power, Professor Muhammad Yunus has given many interviews over the past six months, both at home and abroad. The interviews at home were more or less the same. The questions were the same and so were the answers. In a couple of recent interviews he appeared a bit weary, even a bit irate.
But when he speaks in interviews with foreign persons, his voice is different, even his body language. He is not just optimistic, but speaks with great confidence about Bangladesh’s bright future.
The element that Bangladesh sorely lacks at the moment is hope. He told foreign friends, he has taken up the arduous task of building a new Bangladesh, a different Bangladesh. The driving force behind this task is the youth and the students of the country. It was at their behest that he took up this responsibility.
Two weeks ago Professor Yunus attended the World Economic Forum meet at Davos where he was the focal point in many question-answer sessions. He even gave direct interviews, one with the Financial Express’ chief foreign affairs columnist Gideon Rachman. The interview was released as a podcast and Dhaka newspapers carried summaries.
However, what is lacking in these reports is Professor Yunus’ voice that resounds with hope. He genuinely believes that Bangladesh faces a historical opportunity to build a country full of potential and prospects. He said, “I genuinely believe this is a historical chance for Bangladesh, and a historical chance for our international friends.”
For those who have read the interview, but have not heard it, I would say, “Listen to it.” I do not think anyone has narrated the story of the July-August revolution better than him. Professor Yunus’ rendition gives one goosebumps when he describes the indomitable courage and intelligence of the new generation in overthrowing the autocrat who ruled the country for a decade and a half.
This incredible mass uprising has been almost entirely captured in the graffiti and wall art around the country.
“This is a unique event that has taken place in Bangladesh, almost unique in human history.”
“Was it a graffiti revolution?” asked Gideon.
“When this demonstration came to a peak, boys and girls were just painting things on the walls, just on the roadside, miles and miles of it….Amazing quality of the paintings and their vision.”
Professor Yunus referred to the last letter a 12-year-old wrote to his mother, “A 12-year-old wrote a letter, left it at home for the mother. Mother, you’d have been stopping me going to the demonstration. My friends are there demonstrating and some of them were killed. I feel guilty. I’m sitting home because you would not allow me to go. I don’t want to be a coward. I want to stand up for my country. So I’m leaving. I seek your blessing. In case something happens to me, if I don’t come back, please forgive me. And he went and didn’t come back.”
When I heard the story again in Professor Yunus’ words, I couldn’t hold my tears back. He told foreign journalists tales of courage, heroic tales, he was speaking of visions larger than life.
All revolutions, big and small, have one or more narrators. Listening to Professor Yunus speaking in the interview with Gideon, I felt that he was the best troubadour for the unprecedented mass uprising that took place in July-August in Bangladesh. The story of that uprising that still has not been written in entirety. When it is, Professor Yunus’ voice must certainly be included.
There are many sceptics within the country and outside concerning this revolution. There is no dearth of people, who are actually waiting with bated breath for the past autocratic government to make a return. These people must be given the message of what Bangladesh we want to see. And we are the ones who will build it. No one else will come and build it for us.
The exit of the autocrat has given us the chance to build a changed Bangladesh. We are fortunate that Professor Yunus has come forward to lend leadership to this task.
Admittedly, this is no easy task. Professor Yunus has reiterated this too. He himself has described the challenges. The biggest task is rebuilding the economy. Those who were at the helm of the country for the past 15 years were the ones who damaged the economy the most. The national coffers are virtually empty. Every year USD 16 billion was siphoned out of the country on average. This has created a crisis in foreign exchange reserves. The reserves are inadequate to repay foreign debt. Professor Yunus told Gideon, “Our foreign exchange went down and luckily again, suddenly the remittances came as a saviour to us. Remittances started increasing.”
Other than the economy, there are the challenges of elections and reforms. We want reforms based on consensus of the politicians. They will decide on the date of the election. But above all, national consensus is essential on the fundamental questions. Professor Yunus feels that the July Proclamation which the students want to declare, will reflect the outline of the New Bangladesh. “The July charter will be our historical document that we’ll follow.”
They’re international young people, although born and raised in Bangladesh, their thinking is completely different and that’s why they could do such a thing. This is what Bangladesh is all about. Give them a chance
Professor Muhammad Yunus, Chief Advisor of the interim government
In the same interview, Professor Yunus spoke about the students forming a political party: One of the possibilities is the students themselves will form a party.”
They need the political party to uphold the achievement they have made at the cost of their blood. It is apparent from Professor Yunus’ words that he supports this initiative of the students to form a political party. A section of the students at present are a part of this government. If they form a government while within the government, will this not tarnish the neutrality of the interim government? Gideon did not post this question, these apprehensions are being expressed from within Bangladesh.
The Indian and western media have expressed fear about extremist Islamic politics in the changed Bangladesh. Professor Yunus brushed aside such fears in his reply to a question posed by Gideon. He said, “We don’t see such signs. At least I don’t see such signs.”
However, it perhaps cannot be denied that a few religion-based political parties are well-organised at the moment. There is fear that under their influence women’s role in social areas will shrink, the cultural character of the country will be affected. Professor Yunus’ words do not support such contentions.
The objective of this interview was not to highlight all our political and social issues. I felt that Professor Yunus wanted to reassure Bangladesh well-wishers abroad that Bangladesh has stepped out of the harsh grip of autocracy and it is now possible to build a pluralistic democratic Bangladesh. It is not just possible, but Bangladesh is waiting to emerge as such a country under his leadership.
He said, “When I talk to foreign investors, I said, Bangladesh is a unique country in a sense of population, the eighth-largest population in the whole world. Our median age is 27. Bubbling with ideas, they have technology in their hands. Everybody has a phone. They’re international young people, although born and raised in Bangladesh, their thinking is completely different and that’s why they could do such a thing. This is what Bangladesh is all about. Give them a chance.”
* Hasan Ferdous is a columnist
* This column appeared in the print an online edition of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten for the English edition by Ayesha Kabir
