Bangladesh Leader Yunus Appears at Clinton Global

By Navneet S. Chugh

At the Clinton Global Initiative’s annual meeting on September 25, 2024, Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus made a powerful appearance, delivering several noteworthy statements and insights. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton praised Yunus for his lasting contributions to poverty alleviation through microfinance and their 40-year friendship, which began when Clinton, then the governor of Arkansas, invited Yunus to share his groundbreaking approach to empowering impoverished communities.

Yunus revealed that the recent student-led movement in Bangladesh, which toppled the autocratic regime of Sheikh Hasina, was not a spontaneous uprising but a carefully orchestrated effort. He introduced Mahfuz Alam, his special assistant, as the strategic mastermind behind the revolution. Praising the young revolutionaries, Yunus remarked, “They are the ones creating the new version of Bangladesh,” and shared stories of the previous government’s violent crackdown on student protesters. Despite facing live bullets, these young leaders persisted in their fight for freedom, a determination that Yunus said would inspire youth globally.

Yunus called on global leaders and the audience at the event to support these student revolutionaries in rebuilding Bangladesh, emphasizing the need for both prayers and international backing. In a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the U.N. summit, Yunus discussed the students’ sacrifice in overthrowing the tyrannical government and outlined Bangladesh’s new reform agenda, for which he requested continued U.S. support.

This meeting underscored the deep ties between the U.S. and Bangladesh, rooted in shared democratic values. Biden, along with Clinton, extended strong support for Yunus’s leadership, signaling a new chapter in Bangladesh’s journey toward democracy and global cooperation.