When Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus spoke about pressing the reset button, it did not imply erasing Bangladesh’s proud history, said a statement released today by the chief adviser’s press wing.
He was instead advocating for a fresh start from the corrupt politics that have undermined Bangladesh’s key institutions, pushed the economy to the brink of collapse, and stripped tens of millions of citizens of their voting rights and civil liberties, the statement said.
When you press the reset button, you reset the software to start all over again. It doesn’t change the hardware. The 1971 Liberation War created the hardware of Bangladesh, it said.
However, some have misinterpreted his recent interview with Voice of America, misunderstanding his call for reform as a dismissal of the country’s historical significance.
Upon his arrival in Dhaka on August 8 to assume the role of chief adviser to the interim government, Yunus described the student-led mass uprising of July-August as the “Second Liberation”, with the first being Bangladesh’s triumphant Liberation War in 1971.
Prior to this, Yunus served as an assistant professor at Middle Tennessee State University. After Bangladesh’s independence was declared, he formed the Bangladesh Citizens Committee and spearheaded a US-wide campaign to persuade the US government to recognise Bangladesh.
He also published the Bangladesh Newsletter to raise global awareness about the genocide committed by the Pakistani army.
Daily Star
