197 global leaders congratulate Yunus govt

In a major show of international support, 197 global leaders, including 92 Nobel laureates, have congratulated the people of Bangladesh and the newly formed interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus.

Among those who signed a congratulatory letter addressing the people of Bangladesh are former US president Barack Obama, entrepreneur Richard Branson, and renowned activist Jane Goodall, according to PR Newswire, a distributor of press releases headquartered in Chicago.

The letter expressed hope for the country’s “peace and success” under Yunus’ leadership, who took charge as the chief adviser on August 8.

The leaders referenced Bangladesh’s “second liberation”, pointing to the role of Yunus and student leaders in ushering in a new era of democracy.

The call for change began after a violent crackdown by forces loyal to former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in response to student-led protests. The students, demanding her resignation, ultimately succeeded when Hasina fled the country on August 5. Yunus was then chosen by student leaders to head the government.

“Just as the nation’s young people have inspired [Muhammad Yunus], we know that he will inspire them to play a leadership role in bringing a bright new future to Bangladesh,” the letter reads.

The global leaders expressed strong support for the interim government’s commitment to restoring democracy through free and fair elections.

“We stand ready to help in any way we can to support the efforts of Bangladesh and the interim government to lead the world in creating a new and better civilisation,” they continued, echoing Yunus’s longstanding vision of societal transformation.

Earlier, sitting heads of state, international institutions, and leaders like UN Secretary-General António Guterres voiced their backing for Yunus. Guterres emphasised the UN’s full support for an inclusive and prosperous democracy in Bangladesh, pledging to collaborate closely with the interim government.

Former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, also a signatory to the letter, expressed his hopes for a brighter future. “I sincerely hope that, under Yunus’s leadership, the people of Bangladesh will be able to enjoy freedom and that he will help Bangladesh become a free and democratic country.”

Sam Daley-Harris, founder of Civic Courage, had urged global citizens to join the movement in support of Bangladesh’s democratic aspirations.