Bangladesh no longer a 'submissive country': Yunus in farewell address

Dhaka: Outgoing interim government chief Muhammad Yunus on Monday said his 18-month rule restored three core pillars of Bangladesh’s external engagement - "sovereignty, national interests, and dignity", and it is no longer a "submissive" nation.

In his farewell address to the nation, Yunus said that at the end of his regime’s rule, “Today's Bangladesh is confident, active, and responsible in protecting its independent interests". 

“Bangladesh is no longer a country with a submissive foreign policy or dependent on the instructions and advice of other countries,” he said in the televised address a day ahead of quitting power.

He emphasised that his 18-month tenure had rebuilt the three "fundamental foundations" of the country’s foreign engagement: "sovereignty, national interests, and dignity".

Yunus’ interim regime began in August 2024 and is set to conclude its unscheduled term with the swearing-in of a new government led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Tuesday, which won a two-thirds majority in general elections four days ago.

BNP, led by its chairman Tarique Rahman, bagged a whopping 209 out of 297 seats in the crucial 13th Parliamentary elections held on February 12.

"I call upon everyone, regardless of party, creed, religion, caste and gender, to continue the struggle to build a just, humane, and democratic Bangladesh. With this appeal, I bid farewell with great optimism," Yunus said.

Yunus, who ran the country as the outgoing regime’s chief adviser, effectively the prime minister, said Bangladesh’s open sea was its great “strategic asset”, creating huge economic opportunities in the region for the South Asian nation.

He emphasised the vast growth potential of broader regional cooperation encompassing Nepal, Bhutan, and “northeastern India”.

"Our open sea is not merely a geographical boundary; it is a gateway to the global economy," he said, adding that connectivity was central to the country's next phase of development.

Yunus said that his administration exhausted its efforts to “ensure democratic rights and values” and formulated some 130 new laws, amended other laws, and issued 600 executive orders, about 84 per cent of which have been implemented.

He said that international port management companies, against which workers waged massive protests, and which critics said were against Bangladeshi interests, would raise the efficiency of the facilities to global standards.

"We have come a long way in signing agreements with leading international port management companies to bring our ports' efficiency up to international standards. If we cannot increase efficiency, we will lag behind in economic achievements," he said.

Earlier in the day, Yunus met with senior bureaucrats and participated in a photo session with all those serving at his office.

Bangladesh's Chief of Army Staff Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman also paid a farewell visit to him.  Yunus thanked the Army chief for the cooperation of the armed forces during the general election.  On Sunday, Yunus held the last meeting of his advisory council or cabinet.

Under Yunus's tenure, Dhaka's relations with New Delhi witnessed a significant downturn.

India has been expressing concerns over attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh.

The community has faced a series of attacks, some fatal, after the killing of radical youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi in December.

Several foreign experts said Bangladesh earned little in foreign relations under Yunus' leadership, while ties with its immediate neighbour, India, saw their lowest ebb.

Executive director of thinktank Centre for Policy Dialogue Fahmida Khatun said political strains with India under Yunus spilled into economic ties, “preventing the easing of tariff and non-tariff barriers that could boost bilateral trade”.

Foreign relations analyst Mustafizur Rahman said under Yunus, relations with India became strained, while ties with Pakistan marked a sudden positive development without building a domestic political consensus on these shifts.

“Whatever he (Yunus) said or called in his farewell address, his regime, apparently with a deliberate effort, divided further an already polarised Bangladesh, leaving behind a fragile political scenario, promoting far right elements,” security and political analyst Nasir Uddin said.