Some forces are well-organized – that’s the most dangerous thing: Chief Advisor

Bangladesh is going through a ‘critical period’ ahead of the national elections to be held in February, said Chief Advisor Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus. He also commented that some international circles are trying to disrupt the election process at this time.
“There are some forces who do not want the elections to be held. We do not know who they are working for. Huge amounts of money are being poured in, the beneficiaries of which are inside and outside the country. They are well-organized – that’s the most dangerous thing. The next few months are very important,” said the Chief Advisor.
On Monday (September 29), Professor Yunus met for more than an hour with a top human rights delegation led by Kerry Kennedy, President of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation, at a hotel in New York. The meeting was attended by people engaged in establishing human rights and social justice from various countries.
Regarding the upcoming elections, Dr. Yunus said, “We want the February elections to be free and peaceful – an election that has never been held in Bangladesh before. Many names have been on the voter list for years but they have not been able to vote. This time we especially want to encourage women to vote and celebrate their participation.”
He said, “We will launch a massive campaign to inform the public about the voting process. Our goal is to ensure the highest voter turnout in the country’s history.”
Dr. Yunus briefed the delegation on the ongoing reform process and steps taken to protect human rights. “We have started the work of rebuilding a broken system. We invited the UN Human Rights Office to investigate last year’s killings. Their report revealed many important things. After that, we have started the process of forming a UN Human Rights Mission, which is a big step.”
The chief advisor said that a commission has been formed to investigate allegations of enforced disappearances, “People are coming forward with horrific experiences. Every incident is horrific. Horrible incidents have been happening for years. Many people were locked up in mirrored rooms, sometimes without even knowing why they were kept there. The commission has not yet given a full report, but is providing regular updates.’
Noting that 11 commissions have been formed to reform key sectors, he said, ‘The National Consensus Commission is already reviewing the reform proposals. Political parties are also part of this process. Hopefully, the important constitutional reforms included in the July Charter will be drafted by October and signed by the political parties.’
The Chief Adviser called on international human rights activists to visit Bangladesh frequently, saying, ‘The most important thing is for you to visit Bangladesh regularly. Whenever you come, forgotten issues come up for discussion anew. Ultimately, you are the voice of the people.’
Professor Yunus stressed the role of human rights organizations in preventing money laundering. He said, ‘The legal process of recovering stolen money is very complicated. I hope human rights organizations will raise their voices on this issue so that no bank can hide such money. This is truly the people’s money.’
Tasnim Zara, leader of the National Citizens Party, who was present at the meeting, said that Bangladesh’s youth have been agitating for structural reforms so that the country does not return to a situation like the July uprising.
Human rights activists have stressed the need for security-related reforms to ensure the safety of all people in the country. “We need to put pressure on political parties to ensure that they make as many reforms as possible, so that they can continue this process even after the parliament is formed,” said John Sifton, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. The meeting was also attended by Catherine Cooper, lawyer at the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation; Mandeep Tiwana, general secretary of CIVICS; Matthew Smith, CEO and founder of Fortify Rights; Sabhanaz Rashid Dia, executive director of the Tech Global Institute; Caroline Nash, Asia director at Amnesty International; Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman, Visiting International Scholar at Ohio University, and Jessalina Rana, UN Advisor at CIVICS.