The interim government is trying to create widespread national agreement on a new political system, according to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus today, reports BSS.
“We are working to build a broad national consensus around a renewed political system – one that delivers 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 freedom, and with dignity,” the Chief Adviser told an event.
The UN Event on the July Uprising & Fact-Finding Report was held at Hotel Intercontinental, Dhaka,
Speaking on the occasion, Prof Yunus said their work is far from finished.
“Alongside our reform agenda, we are pursuing legal accountability for those responsible for gross violations,” he said.
“But justice is not only about punishment. Justice is also about ensuring that state power can never again be used to suppress, silence, or destroy its own people.”
According to the Chief Adviser, they honor those who sacrificed their lives to further that mission as they look back on the last year.
“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 recognised the steadfast support of the international community, 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 status.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights emerged as a “moral compass for our world”, and its principles 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 governance.
“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 conduct 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, including 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 happen again.” “We have taken these recommendations to heart – not out of obligation to others, but out of responsibility 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 Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
“Earlier this month, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the OHCHR to establish a facilitating 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 expressed gratitude to Secretary-General António Guterres for his visit to Bangladesh in March of this year, his unwavering support, and his solidarity.
For their outstanding and historic efforts, he also expressed his sincere gratitude to High Commissioner Volker T?rk, the OHCHR Fact-Finding Team members, UN Resident Coordinator Gwyn Lewis, and Senior Human Rights Adviser Huma Khan.
Prof. Yunus also expressed gratitude to the UN on behalf of the people of Bangladesh for supporting the country during its most difficult time and expressed hope for their ongoing collaboration going forward.
