Dr. Yunus to The Economist: There will be no place for Islamic extremism in Bangladesh
Last Updated on December 23, 2024 6:10 am
Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the chief advisor to the interim government, has said that there will never be a place for Islamic extremism in Bangladesh again.
He assured, “Nothing like that is going to happen. The country’s youth are very energetic. They are very open-minded about religion.”
Dr. Yunus said this in a recent interview with the influential British magazine The Economist. The Economist published the video of the interview on its website on Friday.
The interview was conducted by Patrick Follis, the Economist’s foreign affairs editor.
Bangladesh has been selected as the Economist’s country of the year in 2024. In this context, Dr. Yunus was interviewed.
Patrick asked, there is some risk of Islamic extremism returning to Bangladesh—officials from the United States and India have warned. How do you view the matter?
Patrick congratulated Dr. Yunus on Bangladesh being named the Economist’s Country of the Year.
Dr. Yunus said, “We are happy, very proud that the student uprising happened and we have truly made a big change. Since then, we have been saying, we want to build a new Bangladesh.”
Noting that the youth want to rebuild the country, he added, “Youth can change the whole world. This is not just a change in a country, what has happened in Bangladesh is an example of how strong the youth are. Let us focus on the youth.”
“Especially on young women. Young women played a very important role in the uprising in Bangladesh. Like any young person in the country, they were at the forefront (of the uprising). We should focus on young women and make sure their dreams come true. If they get the chance, they have the ability to do that,” he said.
Dr. Yunus mentioned that the three young people who led the uprising have been included in the cabinet of the interim government. Yunus.
‘They are now members of the cabinet and are doing a wonderful job. They are qualified. They are not the youth of the last century—they are the youth of this century. They are not inferior in any way in terms of qualifications.’
Asked what he plans to do after the Bangladesh elections, Dr. Yunus said, ‘I have been removed from my work. I have been forced into this work. I was doing my work and enjoying it—that is why I was in Paris. I was brought from Paris to do something different. I will go back to my work and enjoy life.’