“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” — Peter Drucker
On historic Bangladesh’s Independence Day, the religious holiday of Eid-ul-Fitr, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus delivered a landmark national address. In addition to capturing the gravity and seriousness of the moment, he went on to outline a visionary new path for Bangladesh. His announcement that elections will take place at the national level between December 2025 and June 2026 shows the government’s unwavering commitment to reasserting democratic power through what he pledged would be “the most free, fair, and credible election in Bangladesh’s history.”
Arising during a period of profound political change, Professor Yunus’s speech was both an accounting with the past and a blueprint for renewal. It was a call to national solidarity, transparency, and moral obligation to challenge deep-seated corruption and institutional deterioration. The speech reaffirmed Bangladesh’s resurgence as a resilient democracy committed to writing a new chapter of responsibility, social justice, and national dignity.
Context and Background: A Country at a Crossroads
The country’s address by Dr. Muhammad Yunus is at the pivotal juncture of modern political history of Bangladesh—a juncture framed by the coming together of four forces of change that are recasting public sentiment and reorienting the nation’s regional status.
First, Bangladesh is seeing an astonishing advancement under the transitional government—historic-low rates of staple commodities throughout Ramadan, a record not reached in the past two decades. This feat alone has been accompanied by no charges of corruption under Dr. Yunus’s rule, showing a much-needed break from decades of bad governance and impunity. Re-establishment of economic accountability and responsibility has been widely welcomed by the people and has begun to regain the confidence of the people in institutions.
Second, there is a distinct shift in public sentiment toward Bangladesh’s relations with the outside world, i.e., India. Independent opinion surveys reveal an overwhelming majority disapproval of Indian interference in Bangladesh affairs. There is intense anger at India’s monopolistic gains from bilateral schemes and strategic initiatives, usually obtained at an equitable cost. Fuel to the fire is also provided by India’s ongoing harboring of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the darling villain of the majority, who, in the face of widespread opposition, still tries to dictate Bangladeshi policies from across the border.
Third, the country still haunts the ghost of the 16-year long rule of the Awami League, which in turn is being more and more equated with authoritarianism, outright human rights violations, and state-led repression. The use of enforced disappearances, political arrests, and the notorious “Ainaghar” detention center as means to stifle opposition has been stamped into the national consciousness. The Yunus administration has moved quickly to undo those abuses by reconsidering and dismissing thousands of spurious cases and showing a commitment to the restoration of the rule of law and civil rights.
Fourth, corruption in finance reached its peak ever under the previous administration. A staggering $234 billion is said to have been illegally siphoned out of the country through various conduits, wastefully pulverizing the nation’s economy and eroding public trust in the financial system. This single colossal figure still quantifies institutional decay that Dr. Yunus’s interim government wants to untangle today.
Fifth, the background to Dr. Yunus’s scheduled state visit to China provides a further strategic connotation to this event. In the midst of increased tensions between India and Bangladesh, this visit is not a symbolic gesture but a calculated turn in regional diplomacy. In reinforcing relations with China, Bangladesh is exercising its sovereign prerogative to diversify friendships and cut dependence on a single regional hegemon. The visit is expected to pave the way for new economic investments, technology partnerships, and political alignment that would radically change South Asia’s geopolitical landscape.
All these five challenges were the context of Dr. Yunus’s national address—a speech intended to be confident, restore national dignity, and set the stage for a more equal, transparent, and independent Bangladesh.
Economic Recovery and Discipline:
The most reassuring moment of Professor Yunus’s address was the clear statement: “Discipline has returned to the economy.” It is a long way from the economic ruin the previous regime left behind. To have the caretaker government bring inflation to a 22-month low level of 9.32% and keep zero load-shedding during Ramadan is no small feat. It is a witness to a very rare combination of efficient administration and public good delivery.
More notably, Professor Yunus also appreciated the transitional government’s success in taming commodity prices during Ramadan and Eid—normally volatile seasons that tend to stretch lower—and middle-income consumers. Across the country, evidence testifies that prices were more reasonable this year than in other years, delivering a much-needed break to the populace and helping public confidence in economic management recover.
Facing the legacy of chaos—money laundering on a large scale, unrestrained bank lending, and investor confidence sapped—Professor Yunus’s administration has re-established transparency in the banking system. With over $234 billion allegedly swindled from the economy under the previous regime, his administration is now ratcheting up international collaboration to bring the culprits to account and recover looted assets. Such actions speak volumes of the determination of the government to make Bangladesh a rule-of-law economy.
Restoring Public Trust in Government: Anti-Corruption and Institutional Reform
The strongest message of the national address was maybe the Chief Adviser’s candid acknowledgement of Bangladesh’s most endemic affliction—corruption. Professor Yunus characterized it as the “biggest problem” and blamed the root cause of the nation’s lack of trust in public institutions on systematic abuse by the erstwhile autocratic government.
The caretaker administration is reorganizing fiscal administration by gradually eliminating the National Board of Revenue and creating two separate institutions—a policy-making one and an implementing one. The move is intended not only to improve accountability but also to stop loopholes through which politically powerful elites were losing billions in revenues to evasions.
Concurrently, the government’s recall of over 6,000 politically motivated cases brought in the last administration and 413 speech-based cases under the abolished Cyber Security Act is an indication of a shift towards a just, rights-promoting, and people-oriented state. It is the strongest negation yet of politicizing the judiciary and reassertion of the right to criticize in a democratic order.
However, the law and order situation has notably deteriorated due to a multitude of complex factors. Primarily, the morale of the police force has been severely compromised, impacting their effectiveness and operational efficiency. This demoralization is further compounded by the presence of politically allied factions within the administration, which often results in a lack of cooperation with governmental directives. Such internal discord is exacerbated by deliberate attempts to destabilize the situation, actions that appear to be orchestrated to discredit the government. These efforts are not just confined to domestic actors; there are indications that external foreign forces are also involved, aiming to undermine national stability through strategic interference. This convergence of internal weaknesses and external pressures creates a challenging environment for maintaining law and order, calling for comprehensive strategies to address these multifaceted issues effectively.
Starlink and the Digital Leap Forward
In a landmark press release, Professor Yunus has ratified a three-month pending commercial deal with Elon Musk’s Starlink. This bold tech partnership has the capacity to transform Bangladesh’s digital map by offering affordable, high-speed internet throughout the country. It is a vision of visionary digital connectivity—skirting rural and far-flung villages from being disconnected in the age of information. These initiatives are designed to bring the country’s technology sector up to date and more attractive to foreign investors. Already, the world leader in solar technology, LONGi, is in talks to establish operations in Bangladesh, a sign of faith in the country’s political and economic stability.
Diplomatic Outreach and Strategic Vision
Yunus’s state visit to China in the coming future is his most prominent diplomatic visit till now. His is to meet President Xi Jinping and top businessmen with the aims of improving economic relations between both countries and pushing Chinese investment into renewable energy, health, and agro-exports. Professor Yunus is even taking the bilateral route further. He has been calling for the creation of a South Asian economic bloc of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Bhutan—a step that, if taken, can begin revolutionary regional integration, reduce dependence on Western markets, and counter-hegemonic forces in the region.
The July Charter and Democratic Consensus
Professor Yunus’s most groundbreaking initiative is possibly the July Charter—a attempt to achieve a national consensus on comprehensive reforms through engagement with all political forces. By mobilizing 38 political forces and responding to remarks on 166 proposals of six reform commissions, the transitional government is laying the groundwork for a new democratic bargain. The Charter is more than a piece of paper—it is an agreement to institutionalize change and keep authoritarianism at bay.
Women’s and minority rights were also highlighted in this vision. Professor Yunus promoted a nationwide movement against misogyny and ensured complete civil rights for indigenous people and religious minorities. His integrative approach-based policy of political reform initiated by social reform is the pre-condition for fundamental democratic transformation.
A New Era for Bangladesh
Briefly put, Professor Muhammad Yunus’s national address is a defining moment in Bangladeshi history. It declares Bangladesh is no longer willing to be hostage to political violence, corruption, and incompetence. It declares that a new generation of leaders is ready to confront the past, recapture the present, and redefine the future.
As Bangladesh heads towards its next general election, the message is unequivocal: legitimacy must be earned on the basis of good governance, inclusivity, and the rule of law. The Nobel Laureate reminds us all, “Poverty is not created by poor people. It is created by the systems we have built.” Now, at his insistence, those systems are being challenged for the first time—and perhaps even reformed.