In the wake of the unprecedented student-led revolution in Bangladesh that culminated in the fall of the autocratic regime led by Sheikh Hasina and the installation of an interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus, people throughout the world have been expressing their excitement and willingness to support the new regime and the Bangladeshi people. Students around the world have drawn inspiration from the courage displayed by their peers in Bangladesh, and mourned those who were lost in the struggle for freedom. Now, 198 global leaders including 92 Nobel laureates and Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, have added their own message of congratulations and support. The statement below was released on September 4, 2024 online, in a full-page ad in the Washington Post, and through a press release. Citizens who want to signal their own solidarity with the interim government in Bangladesh and the Bangladeshi people can add their names to those of the global leaders by clicking here.
A Message to the People of Bangladesh and Citizens of Goodwill Throughout the World
We the undersigned are excited to publicly share our congratulations and heartfelt good wishes to Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, the new interim Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Professor Yunus, like others in Bangladesh, has suffered under the yoke of autocracy. Today, thanks to the power of a democratic and student-led protest, that autocracy has been replaced by hope. As Professor Yunus has said, Bangladesh is now enjoying its second liberation, and it has the chance to fulfill its great potential as a nation. We have been proud to have supported Professor Yunus over the years. It is the beginning of an exciting new dawn for Bangladesh, and we wish him and the people of Bangladesh peace and success in the months and years ahead. We are excited to see Professor Yunus finally free to work for the uplift of the entire country, especially the most marginalized, a calling he has pursued with great vigor and success across six decades. Just as the nation’s young people have inspired him, we know that he will inspire them to play a leadership role in bringing a bright new future to Bangladesh. We are also confident that he will inspire millions of young people around the world, including those in the Bangladeshi diaspora, to improve society for the better. We applaud the interim government’s commitment to bring free and fair elections back to Bangladesh and its commitment to allowing democracy to flourish. 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 civilization, as Professor Yunus has repeatedly called for.
