Dhaka, December 4 (The Daily Star): Bangladesh Interim Government Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus today urged all political forces of the country to unite and fight the “falsehood” that certain forces are spreading.
Prof Yunus thanked the delegations of political parties who responded to his call and said, “Through the uprising of students and the masses, we managed to lift the crushing stone off our chest. We celebrated victory. In the month of victory, we should be celebrating more, rejoicing more.”
Yunus made these comments at a meeting at the Foreign Service Academy this afternoon, where delegations of several political parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami, were present.
The chief adviser said, “We created a free and independent Bangladesh through an uprising. They [certain forces] want to erase it and return to the past.
However, he said the achievement did not sit well with certain powers.
“But it seems our freedom and independence are not sitting well with some people. Various efforts are being made to stall our progress. Since August 5, you’ve witnessed how it is unfolding.
“We had anticipated that there might be trouble surrounding Durga Puja, and for that too, we called for unity. You joined us in that unity. Puja was celebrated peacefully across the country. There were no disturbances, no hateful comments, nothing. But even that did not please certain quarters,” Yunus said.
The chief adviser said, “Now, they are trying again, in new ways. The situation we are currently facing is why this meeting has been called.
“The Bangladesh we are aiming to build is being overshadowed by a fabricated narrative. They are relentlessly outlining a different version of our country.”
He added that the misinformation is now not coming from just one country.
“This is not limited to just one country. It has spread to certain major global powers. Since our great uprising has displeased some, they want to erase it, hide it.”
“We must unite to prove their falsehoods wrong and establish the truth. This is not about a specific political ideology; it concerns our existence as a nation. Their power is immense — the power of money and organisation. They are even able to draw people into their fabricated narrative. They continue to spin new stories from there,” added Prof Yunus.
In the face of such adversities, he urged unity.
“We must tell the world that we are united. We drove out those who silenced us. We are open, and free. This is a significant factor in the journey of the new Bangladesh. We have called you here to discuss how we can move forward collectively. There is no room for missteps in this process.”
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