Return to classrooms, campuses, chief adviser urges students

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Thursday called upon the students to return to their classrooms and campuses as a well-educated and competent generation is required to reap the benefits of the revolution.

"Now it's time to go back to study. Schools, colleges and universities have been opened. I urge you to return to the classrooms and campuses. Because, we need a well-educated and skilled generation to take home the benefits of the revolution," he said.

The Chief Adviser made the call in a statement delivered on the occasion of one month of the fall of prime minister Sheikh Hasina's regime in the face of a student-led mass uprising.

"Today (Thursday) we are celebrating the first month of Bangladesh's second independence. Hundreds of students and people from all walks of life made the supreme sacrifice for one of the most glorious revolutions in history," he said.

Pointing at the students, he said during the revolution, they had to leave study and pass sleepless nights worrying about their friends, and take to streets in daytime to resist the brutal regime, telling each other goodbye forever.

Prof Yunus said the students guarded the religious minority communities and their places of worship as well as took the responsibility of managing traffic across the country after the revolution ended. "I know your study witnessed a huge disruption," he added.

Noting that Sheikh Hasina fled the country leaving behind a corrupt state and a fragile economy, he said, "We've taken the responsibility to establish our Bangladesh in its full glory."

The Chief Adviser said he is committed to fulfilling the dream that young revolutionaries have awakened in the minds of the people of the country to build a new Bangladesh. "Being inspired by the sacrifices of the martyrs, we want to change the course of history. I want to introduce a new era," he said.

Noting that only one month elapsed after the interim government took the charges, he said the government started important reforms to achieve the actual goal of the revolution.

"Our first task is to ensure justice and accountability for the killings occurred in July and August," he said adding that they invited the UN Human Rights Office to conduct an independent and impartial inquiry into the genocide and the UNHR also sent it team to Bangladesh and started work in this regard.

Besides, he talked to top international legal experts to form an international standard tribunal to try the people who committed crimes against humanity in July and August, said Prof Yunus.

"We want the extradition of the killers and the repatriation of the money embezzled by corrupt individuals, politicians and bureaucrats during the regime of the dictator. This is why I've started talking with expert firms," he said.

He said one of their main responsibilities is to ensure free treatment for thousands of people who sustained seriously injured during the revolution.

"We're continuously working to prepare a complete list of martyrs and injured. The main list has already been prepared," he said, adding that now only the information of those whose dead bodies were taken far away is being collected.

The Chief Adviser said the formation of a foundation is in the final stages to look after the hundreds of injured people who need long-term treatment or expensive treatment and oversee the families of the martyrs. "We will never forget those whose martyrdom gave birth to this new Bangladesh," he said.

He said his government has formed a commission to investigate every incident of forced disappearance during the 15-year fascist regime.

"The Aynaghars (secret prisons) have been closed. Very soon we will know about the pains and sufferings of the brothers and sisters who are victims of enforced disappearance," he said.

Talking about important reform initiatives, Prof Yunus said the government is regularly holding talks with political parties, editors, business leaders, civil society leaders and diplomats. "They supported our reform initiatives.

"We're impressed by receiving the overwhelming support from our foreign friends. Our brave and patriotic expatriates are also engaged in efforts to rebuild the nation," he said extending his sincere thanks to them.

Expressing the deep gratitude to the families of martyrs and injured persons, he said he would invite the family members of every martyr and meet them within few days. "I want to assure them that we will never betray the dreams of martyrs," said the Chief Adviser.