Bangladesh: Muhammad Yunus vows to hold free and fair elections after reforming judiciary, media

He made the remark while addressing the foreign diplomats in Dhaka for the first time since taking charge of the interim government.

“We will hold a free and fair participatory election as soon as we can complete our mandate to carry out the vital reforms in our Election Commission, judiciary, civil administration, security forces and media,” Yunus was quoted as saying by Arab News.

“We will undertake robust and far-reaching economic reforms to restore macro-economic stability and sustain growth with priority attached to good governance and combating corruption and mismanagement," he said.

He said the country will reach close to normalcy within a short period of time.

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Bangladesh witnessed violent protest over job quota row which eventually led to the toppling of the former PM Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government earlier this month.

Hasina fled to India amid demonstrations against her government.

UN reaction to recent developments in Bangladesh

The political transition underway in Bangladesh represents a historic opportunity to ensure governance is anchored in human rights, inclusivity and the rule of law, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Friday.

Volker Türk also stressed the need for accountability for rights violations and violence connected to anti-government protests that rocked the country in recent weeks, prompting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee to India.

An interim administration headed by Nobel Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus was sworn in on 8 August during a ceremony at the presidential palace in the capital, Dhaka.

Hold perpetrators to account

Türk earlier called for all persons responsible for human rights violations, including those who used or ordered the unnecessary and disproportionate use of force, to be held to account.

Victims must be provided reparations and effective remedies, he added.

Mission to Dhaka

The High Commissioner also announced that a team from his Office will visit Dhaka next week to explore how it can support the transition. Discussions will also focus on the modalities for an investigation into human rights violations related to the recent violence and unrest.

“As I assured the Chief Adviser to the Interim Government, Professor Muhammad Yunus in our phone call this week, we stand in solidary with the people of Bangladesh at this time and are committed to supporting the Interim Government for a successful transition that is inclusive and advances the rights of all the people in Bangladesh,” he said.