Chief Adviser of the interim government, Prof Muhammad Yunus, has sought cooperation from foreign friends to build a new Bangladesh dreamt of by the nation’s youth.
He made this appeal during a reception held on Tuesday evening, commemorating the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh's membership in the United Nations.
“Through the sacrifice of lives and indomitable leadership of the youth, revolutionary changes have taken place in Bangladesh. They sacrificed their lives to build a discrimination-free society and a prosperous country,” he said.
The chief adviser said, "The sacrifice of young people has created a great opportunity for us.”
“We don't want to miss this opportunity. The youth want to build a new Bangladesh through a drastic change in the existing state structure and institutions. We need all of your support to implement it.”
"It is a very significant year for us. It is brought by the young people of Bangladesh," he said.
Recalling the sacrifices made by the students, Prof Yunus said, “The whole nation is united today. We don't want to make them (who dreamt of a new Bangladesh) disappointed."
Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, US Assistant Secretary of State for Central and South Asia Donald Lu and representatives of various countries attended the event.
On the day, in a separate meeting, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus sought the international community’s continuous attention to the Rohingya crisis, otherwise, he warned that it might put the entire region in trouble, not just Bangladesh.
"We have to be careful...we must pay attention to this," he said while speaking at a high-level discussion on the Rohingya crisis on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, ICC Prosecutor Karim AA Khan and IOM Director General Amy Pope, among others, spoke at the event.
During his speech at the event, Professor Yunus urged the international community to reconsider approaches to resolving the Rohingya crisis. "First of all, we want the UN secretary-general to organise a conference on the Rohingya crisis in the presence of all parties involved as soon as possible," he said.
The conference should review the overall situation of the crisis and suggest innovative and forward-looking way outs, he said.
Secondly, he said, there is a need to revive the 'Joint Response Plan' conducted jointly by the United Nations and Bangladesh.
Since there is a lack of funds to spend on Rohingyas, the process of raising money should be strengthened with political decisions, Prof Yunus said.
In the third proposal, he said the international community should come forward with sincere support to ensure justice for the crimes of genocide committed against the Rohingya people.
To ensure long-term peace and security in Myanmar, justice for these Rohingyas, who were persecuted by Myanmar's military junta, must be ensured, he said.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said he was honoured to participate in the discussion on the Rohingya crisis led by Prof Yunus.
"Like every year, the event was held but the presence of Yunus and his vision made this discussion particularly important. We must continue our efforts to end discrimination, statelessness and forced displacement of the Rohingya people," Filippo Grandi added.
IOM Director General Amy Pope said that the Rohingya people should not be forgotten, so all should do more to resolve this crisis and continue the necessary support and long-term process of solution to this crisis.
The IOM chief said it is committed to doing everything possible to achieve this goal.
Meanwhile, on the day, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva pledged support to Bangladesh's reform initiatives, saying the Washington-based lender has sent a team to Dhaka to hold talks with the stakeholders over the matter.
The IMF managing director expressed her support at a meeting with Professor Muhammad Yunus at the UN headquarters in New York on the sidelines of the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly.
"It is a different country. It is Bangladesh 2.0," Kristalina Georgieva told the chief adviser when he gave a short briefing on the student-led mass uprising which ousted the previous autocratic regime.
During the meeting, Prof Yunus spoke about the six commissions that his interim government has set up to recommend vital reforms in election, civil administration, police, judiciary, anti-corruption and constitution.
He said the government would hold discussions with the political parties on the recommendations of the commissions.
Once the consensus on the reforms is reached the voter list is prepared, and the date for the election will be announced, the chief adviser said.
The IMF chief executive extended her support for the initiatives, saying the lender would fast-track financial support for the Bangladesh government.
She said she sent an IMF team "quickly" to Bangladesh and it is in Dhaka at the moment. The team would place its report to the IMF management board next month, he added.
The general debate of the 79th session of the General Assembly began on Tuesday and will continue through Saturday [September 28] and conclude on September 30.
