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Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday called on young people in Bangladesh to become more actively involved in politics, saying meaningful societal change can only happen when youth take ownership of the country’s future.
“We are encouraging young people to join politics; otherwise they will have no voice in policymaking,” Yunus said while meeting a delegation of young political activists from Norway at the State Guest House Jamuna.
The visiting group, comprising representatives from multiple Norwegian political parties, included Najma Ahmed (Socialist Youth League), Fawzi Warsame (AUF), Dane Skofterud (Centre Party), Ola Svenneby (Conservative Party), Hadle Rasmus Bjuland (Christian Democrats), Tobias Stokkeland (Green Youth), and Thyra Hakonslokken (Young Liberals).
Professor Yunus spoke with them about their political backgrounds, visions, and engagement with youth in Norway. He expressed interest in the level of youth participation in their country’s democratic process and emphasized the urgent need for similar engagement in Bangladesh.
During their discussion, the Norwegian delegation shared their observations after meeting Bangladeshi youth, many of whom, they noted, had never had the opportunity to vote in their lifetime.
In response, Yunus pointed to the failure of the country’s electoral process over the past 15 years. “Although it was projected as a success, the reality is that millions were denied their right to vote. Our interim government’s top priority is institutional reform to ensure that such rights are finally guaranteed,” he said.
Describing the country’s political climate as “outdated and dysfunctional,” he said the interim administration is working to rebuild the system from the ground up.
“We’ve inherited a mess, and now the real challenge is to rebuild — to construct a new structure from the debris of the old,” said the Nobel Laureate. “This is a transition period. I just hope it doesn’t last long.”
