Interim govt preparing for election in February: Chief adviser

Interim Government Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus has said preparations are underway to hold the national election in Bangladesh in February. He made the remarks while delivering his speech at the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session in New York on Friday.

Congratulating all member states on the UN’s eight decades of existence, Dr Yunus said, “Over the last eight decades, the United Nations has continuously expanded its activities and become deeply engaged in various fields. Its role in promoting world peace and security, human rights, development, justice, fairness, and equality is undeniable.”

He further said, “Due to the UN’s initiatives, nearly 120 countries are receiving urgent food and basic humanitarian assistance, and 45% of children have been vaccinated. The agencies have stood by distressed populations worldwide by delivering food, safe water, sanitation, vaccines, and other life-saving services.”

Reflecting on last year’s session, Dr Yunus said, “I stood before this august assembly to convey the aspirations of a nation undergoing a recent mass uprising. Today, I will tell you how far we have advanced in this journey of transformation.”

He added, “Nearly 3 out of every 100 people on Earth live in Bangladesh. Despite its geo-political importance, the real significance of our history lies in inspiring confidence in the extraordinary power of ordinary people and instilling hope among all nations that no matter how grave a crisis, solutions can always be found.”

Dr Yunus stressed, “Our goal has been to establish a balanced democratic state structure—where no dictator will reappear, no elected leader will be able to undermine democratic norms, and the protectors of the people will not turn into predators.”

He also informed that, “To implement reforms in governance, judiciary, elections, public administration, law and order, anti-corruption, women’s rights and other national priorities, we have formed 11 independent reform commissions. These commissions, through public consultations and in-depth reviews, have recommended comprehensive reforms.”

Dr Yunus concluded, “As you know, we are preparing to hold the national election in February. Simultaneously, we are relentlessly pursuing citizen-friendly reforms to ensure transparency, accountability, and the rule of law.”