Bangladesh's lone Nobel laureate, Professor Muhammad Yunus, has called for an interim election in Bangladesh to be held promptly.

He advocates for this election as a means to restore democracy through the people's mandate and address the country’s current crisis.

Additionally, he has called for international support to stop the ongoing violence in Bangladesh.

In an interview published on Friday (July 26) by India’s leading daily The Hindu, Dr. Yunus made these remarks. He is presently in Paris as a special guest at the Olympic Games, where his interview was conducted by journalist Suhasini Haidar.

Dr. Yunus stated in the interview that a free, fair, and impartial election could resolve all democratic issues. He pointed out that addressing democratic problems requires the people's guidance, as the state belongs to the people, not merely those in power.

In response to a question, Professor Yunus said, "I left the country during the curfew and had witnessed what happened firsthand. The government is trying to portray the situation as though foreign troops have invaded Bangladesh and that’s why they have deployed military and paramilitary forces with live ammunition to suppress the protesters."

Dr Yunus said the Bangladesh government seemed intent on crushing the students rather than restoring order as it was pretty evident in their deployment of such extensive forces.

“Is the government behaving like a foreign power, using bullets against its own citizens? These are not just ordinary people; they are university students and represent the top one percent of society."

Dr. Yunus told Suhashini that "people were being shot on sight,” and that created a dire situation in Bangladesh. “I have called on world leaders to help end this violence. I could no longer bear to witness it. Millions in Bangladesh are living in fear, and I could not stand to see it anymore."

When asked about democracy, Dr. Yunus replied that democracy places the highest priority on the lives of its people as it is about “ensuring the protection of citizens regardless of their religion, political beliefs, or any other differences.”

“Democracy means safeguarding everyone,” he said, adding that the Bangladeshi student protesters did not intend to harm anyone.

“Even if their demands are not acceptable to the government, that does not justify the government's right to authorize their killing," he added.

The Nobel laureate pointed out that there is a procedure for dealing with lawbreakers, but nowhere does it permit killing them indiscriminately.

“I have witnessed the police shooting at innocent students from close range, even when their hands were raised. This happens because the police have been granted the authority to use lethal force."

Professor Yunus expressed deep concern about the state of democracy and rule of law in Bangladesh, highlighting the government's attempts to suppress information and stifle dissent.

He questioned the government's fear of its own people and urged international media to investigate the situation.

He also cautioned that despite the government's claims of control, the underlying political issues remain unresolved and could lead to further unrest in the future.

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