Demand for new elections. of Yunus

Nobel Peace Prize winner Prof. Muhammad Yunus. He said, a real, free and fair election can solve all problems in democracy. It is possible to solve the problems of democracy under the guidance of the people. Because the state is owned by the people, not by some people in government. Besides, he called for help from foreigners to stop the killings in Bangladesh.

Dr. said these things in the interview published in The Hindu newspaper on Friday (July 26). Yunus. Currently, he is staying in Paris as a special guest of the Olympic Games. Journalist Suhasini Haider took the interview there. Here it is highlighted:

Question: Tell us a little about what you have heard about the situation in Bangladesh. The situation seems to be under control after the new judgment of the Appellate Court...

Dr. Yunus: It is not that it happened after I came (to Paris as a special guest of the Olympics). (At the time of the incident) I was there. I went to the airport during the curfew. The government is making the situation look like a foreign army has invaded Bangladesh. So army and paramilitary forces have been brought down with bullets to quell the protestors. They were in a mood to defeat them (students), they were not in a mood to restore order. What happened as a result? Why did they bring down all the forces? Is the government a foreign power that suppresses the locals with bullets? They are citizens of your own country, university students, they are the top percentile of society. They are ready to rule the country. As if they are invading Bangladesh as another country's power, you are killing them. Shooting on sight. So this is the situation that has arisen in Bangladesh. So I appeal to world leaders to look into this so that this carnage can be stopped. I could not see this scene anymore. Millions of people in Bangladesh are living in terror., I could not see it. Democracy gives the highest priority in people's lives. Democracy is about protecting the people. Democracy gives protection to all people regardless of their religion, political opinion or any other differences. If one citizen goes to kill another, the first responsibility of the state is to protect the victim. Killing the attacker is the last option, not the first. But the Bangladesh government responded in the same way. The protesters did not go out to kill anyone. Their demands may not be satisfactory to the government. But even that does not allow the government to kill them.

Q: You have called on the international community, the United Nations, to get involved in this incident. What action do you think they will actually take?

Dr. Yunus: Didn't want to get any official response. I hoped, they (the international community) could use their informal relationships and channels to stop our leaders. Inform them about the importance of moving away from the ideals of democracy. Bandhupratim could only take the phone to the action and say - What is happening in Bangladesh? What a friend does for a friend is to defuse the situation, which helps save people's lives. Leaders have friends. You can do anything as a friend. What kind of friend are you if you don't give good advice in times of crisis?

Question: India and Bangladesh are historical friends. India has already issued a statement. They said, it is an internal matter of Bangladesh.

Dr. Yunus: As a public official you can say this. But you can use your friendship privately. Prime Ministers can talk to each other if they see that something unfair is happening. We still have SAARC dreams. We can help each other. We can make things easier for each other. We have a natural bond. If something happens in one country, it can easily happen in another country. We see police, paramilitary forces and an army killing innocent people. This is a very dire situation. Why did you need to send in the army to deal with the student protests? Now, as you can tell, some of the enemy had crept in. Who are these enemies? Identify the enemies and take action against them without killing the students. Democracy and rule of law should not be like this in a democratic country.

Question: There is specific concern about the quota of protestors in 1971. India's concern is that anti-India sentiments are being spread in this context. How true do you think it is?

Dr. Yunus: In this case the imagination will be far reaching. The quota movement is not a light issue in the relations between Bangladesh and India. Issues are democracy, rule of law, human rights, role of judiciary. People have the right to express their opinion. The government has no right to kill because of their views.

Q: You object to the way the protesters have been dealt with. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government says the protesters turned violent themselves. They were picketing the police posts...

Dr. Yunus: There is a process of what action you will take against law breakers. Nowhere does it say that you can kill them one by one. This is not the first time in the world, where a government is confronting the protesters. I saw the police shooting innocent students from close range while their hands were raised. Because, this police has been given the power to shoot and kill. We are seeing all of this. Standard procedures are in place to deal with situations where protesters break the law. There are some serious mistakes between the rule of law and the practice of democracy in Bangladesh. It would not be right to turn our backs. We are members of SAARC. we are neighbors All media should come and watch to see what is happening. First of all what they (Bangladesh government) did was to shut down everything, so that they could hide everything in the dark. No one should be able to see anything from outside the country or even from inside the country. Why are they so afraid of their own people?

Question: Students have given a list of their demands. Among them, the Prime Minister should apologize for calling them Razakars, his ministers should resign.

Dr. Yunus: These are the demands of the students. The government has responded to these issues. It didn't happen that way.

Question: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina won the election in January this year. It is not undemocratic to call for resignation now?

Dr. Yunus: We are committed to democracy and want to stay with democracy. Whether you are freshly elected or not, or are abusing your position without regard for public opinion, it doesn't matter in a democracy - you are responsible for keeping people safe, not killing them. Can't pick up some opposition party people so that he can be arrested. The government can charge him with a fictitious crime, arrest him. He may be jailed. It is not the rule of law. In democratic ideals there are certain rules for running a process.

Question: What is the future of these protests?

Dr. Yunus: If democracy fails, you can go back to the people to take their mandate. It is credible to people. But right now the government has no such credibility.

Q: Do you think the government should resign?

Dr. Yunus: Under a democratic structure, when such a situation arises, action has to be taken according to the rules. All problems are solved in democracy. I have nothing to give you a fresh verdict on.

Q: Can you play a role in improving the situation?

Dr. Yunus: I am playing that role now. Explaining the need for democracy in Bangladesh.

Question: The government has about 200 complaints against you. You have been accused of labor law issues. There are two new cases. Is the fight against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina personal?

Dr. Yunus: These cases are also failures of the rule of law. The charges against me are related to embezzlement, fraud and money laundering. It means - I have stolen money from my own company. These are the complaints of the government. All these are fabricated stories, all made up. Many human rights organizations say these allegations are baseless. These cases have been filed to harass me. I have already been jailed for 6 months in a case related to labor rights violations. This is also a fabricated case.

Q: You say democracy has failed. What do you think that can bring Bangladesh back from this situation to democracy?

Dr. Yunus: Take the people's mandate, freely and fairly. That's it. It is possible to solve the problems of democracy under the guidance of the people. Because the state is owned by the people, not by some people in government.

Q: Are you talking about another election?

Dr. Yunus: Of course, the solution to all political problems is elections. When things don't work, you have to go to people for guidance. Actually they own the country. It must be ensured that the election is an authentic election and not a sorcerer's election.

Q: Do you think the situation is currently under control and protests may return. The Court of Appeal has reduced the quota?

Dr. Yunus: The government is claiming that the situation is under control. This does not mean that the fundamental political problem has been resolved. May be stopped on temporary basis. But the political engine will continue to run. It can start anew at a moment's notice. What is happening in Bangladesh today can also happen in India. If you don't speak up now, you are taking this day very close to India, Nepal, Pakistan or other SAARC countries.