Staff Reporter:
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus yesterday said the interim government is working to build a broad national consensus around a renewed political system.
“We are working to build a broad national consensus around a renewed political system – one that deliv-ers inclusive, participatory, and credible elections,” he said.
“The goal is clear: to establish a society where all Bangladeshis can live in peace, with pride, with free-dom, and with dignity,” the Chief Adviser told an event.
The UN Event on the July Uprising & Fact-Finding Report was held at Hotel Intercontinental in the cap-ital yesterday
“Alongside our reform agenda, we are pursuing legal accountability for those responsible for gross vio-lations,” he said. “But justice is not only about punishment. Justice is also about ensuring that state pow-er can never again be used to suppress, silence, or destroy its own people.”
The Chief Adviser said as they reflect on this past year, they remember those who gave their lives in pursuit of that vision.
“Their sacrifice paved the way for a new chapter in our history. They created a new Bangladesh, one that is rooted in hope, human rights, and democratic renewal,” he added.
Prof Yunus said they gathered to mark the first anniversary of the July Uprising – a moment of profound significance in the history of their nation.
“It was a moment when thousands of Bangladeshi men and women – most of them young – stood up against tyranny and reclaimed the dignity and future of our country. Their courage spoke not only for our people, but for humanity,” he said.
On this historic occasion, the Chief Adviser recognized the steadfast support of the international com-munity, particularly the United Nations, which has always stood beside Bangladesh – from the War of Independence in 1971, to the Rohingya crisis, and again during the dark days of July and August last year.
Referring to the UN, he said in the aftermath of the Second World War, the United Nations set out to define and defend the inalienable rights of all human beings – irrespective of race, religion, sex, or sta-tus.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights emerged as a “moral compass for our world”, and its prin-ciples have long been embedded in Bangladesh’s Constitution, he said.
Prof Yunus said: “Yet, over the past sixteen years, these rights were repeatedly denied to our citizens. Our institutions were captured. Freedoms were curtailed. Violence became the prime tool of govern-ance.
“Last July, our society stood united in rejecting this reality. The people of Bangladesh reclaimed their rights with clarity, resolve, and immense bravery.”
Immediately after the establishment of the Interim Government in August last year, the Chief Adviser said, he formally requested the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to con-duct an independent fact-finding mission to investigate allegations of human rights abuses between 1 July and 5 August.
“We believed that an impartial and credible accounting of the truth was essential – not for justice alone, but also for healing,” he said.
He said the UN High Commissioner’s report, released in February 2025, revealed the staggering scale of the atrocities: an estimated 1,400 lives lost in just a few weeks.
The report described the violence as systematic, directed, and coordinated from the highest levels of the previous regime, Prof Yunus said, adding that it raised urgent concerns about potential crimes against humanity.
He said these findings have been further corroborated by international investigative journalism, includ-ing reports by the BBC and Al Jazeera.
“We are grateful to the office of the High Commissioner for not only documenting these abuses, but for offering a comprehensive set of recommendations to help ensure that such violations never, never hap-pen again.”
“We have taken these recommendations to heart – not out of obligation to others, but out of responsibil-ity to ourselves,” he said.
Prof Yunus said since assuming office, his government has begun implementing wide-ranging reforms.
He said the government amended the Code of Criminal Procedure and acceded to the International Con-vention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
“Earlier this month, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the OHCHR to establish a facili-tating mission in Dhaka,” he said.
Prof Yunus said this Mission will provide technical support for reform initiatives, as well as capacity-building for government institutions, local authorities, and civil society actors working to safeguard most precious thing, human rights.
From the earliest days of the Interim Government, he said, the United Nations has been a vital partner in Bangladesh’s transition, he added.
The Chief Adviser thanked Secretary-General Ant›nio Guterres for his unwavering support and for his solidarity and his visit to Bangladesh in March of this year.
He also extended his deep appreciation to High Commissioner Volker T?rk, the members of the OHCHR Fact-Finding Team, Gwyn Lewis, the UN Resident Coordinator, and Huma Khan, Senior Human Rights Adviser, for their extraordinary and historical contributions.
On behalf of the people of Bangladesh, Prof Yunus also thanked the United Nations for standing with Bangladesh in its darkest hour and he looked forward to the continued partnership as they move forward.
