Yunus appeals to Bangladeshis to show 'patience' as he tries to address 'mountain-like challenges'

Dhaka: Bangladesh interim government's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Sunday appealed to the people to have "patience" as it is difficult to address the "mountain-like challenges" overnight while promising them a free, fair and participatory election after implementing key reforms in different sectors.

In a televised address to the nation, his second since assuming charge on August 8 after the fall of the government led by Sheikh Hasina on August 5, Yunus urged the people to refrain from storming institutions, putting pressure to accept cases and the tendency to do some kind of trial in advance by attacking people while taking them to the courts.

"I'll just say, you have to be patient. It is difficult to overcome mountain-like challenges overnight," he said, referring to the demands coming from various sections to punish those responsible for the deaths of many people during the recent anti-government protests.

These incidents will fade the glory of the successful struggle to build a new Bangladesh, the 84-year-old Nobel laureate, said.

"We will maintain friendly relations with all countries," he said.Mutual trust and cooperation will be the base of our foreign policy. We are respectful of all international laws, including human rights. We have taken steps to become signatory to the international convention on enforced disappearances," he was quoted as saying by the official BSS news agency.

Yunus said the timing of the election is a political decision and people will decide how long this interim government will remain in power.

He assured the nation that his interim government will hold free, fair and inclusive elections in the country after undertaking reforms in various sectors.

"After completion of required reforms in administration, judiciary, election commission and electoral system, law and order and information flow systems -- a free, fair and inclusive election will be held to give the student-people mass protests a successful consequence," Yunus said.

A committee, he said, has already been formed to prepare a white paper on corruption, money laundering, anti-people agreements and looting that took place in the last 15 years.

Yunus, who now serves as the Chief Adviser - a position equivalent to the prime minister, said his interim government would strengthen the local government institutions and ensure decentralisation to consolidate democracy.

"The goal will be to introduce an accountable political system,” Yunus, who assumed charge following the ouster of Prime Minister Hasina amid a massive students’ movement that also forced her to flee to India.     Yunus did not give any deadline for the tenure of his interim government but acknowledged that “everyone is interested to know when our government will leave”.

“The answer lies with you when you will give us the farewell. None of us (council of advisers) are the ones to rule the country. We are happy with our professions. We took charge, responding to the students’ call during a national crisis,” he said.

Yunus said that his government would “put in all our efforts” to discharge the duty he has been entrusted with as all sections of people had welcomed his government.

The chief adviser slammed Hasina's "fascist autocratic regime”, saying they destroyed every institution of the country, crippled the economy and education system, and gauged people’s voices through intimidation and torture.

Yunus said his government believed in “national unity" and for that reason, he has appointed a special assistant with the status of an adviser with the responsibility of developing national solidarity.

Yunus said the main aim of the election is to introduce an accountable political system against corruption, looting and mass killing.

Local government institutions, he said, must be strengthened and decentralisation of power should be ensured to consolidate democracy.

Claiming that the government has taken a strong stance against corruption, the Chief Adviser said all the advisers to the interim government will disclose their wealth statements within the quickest possible time.