Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has called on Bangladeshi expatriates to actively contribute to rebuilding the country and its society, saying the time for “watching from the sidelines” is over.
Speaking at the “NRB Connect Day: Empowering Global Bangladeshis” event in New York on Saturday (local time), Yunus said expatriate Bangladeshis could play an important role in advancing the changes envisioned after the July mass uprising.
“We will no longer stand in the gallery as spectators. The days of watching from the stands are over; now we will play ourselves,” said the Nobel laureate, stressing that everyone has a part to play in nation-building.
Several Bangladeshi political leaders travelling with Yunus to attend the 80th UN General Assembly were also present at the event. Expressing gratitude to his travel companions, Yunus said their participation had strengthened his confidence.
The event opened with a presentation by Chowdhury Ashiq Mahmud Bin Harun, Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), highlighting 15 months of economic progress since the July uprising and acknowledging expatriates’ contribution to a more than 21 percent rise in remittances.
An interactive panel discussion titled “Bridging Borders: Current Affairs and Diaspora Engagement” was moderated by Yunus’s special envoy Lutfey Siddiqi, with participation from Adviser on Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Asif Nazrul and three other panellists.
Another panel discussion, “Shaping Tomorrow: The Future of Bangladesh,” was moderated by National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman and featured NCP leader Tasnim Jara, BNP leader Humayun Kabir and Jamaat leader Nakibur Rahman.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher and NCP’s Member Secretary Akhter Hossain delivered emotional speeches reflecting on post-uprising political perspectives.
The chief adviser also inaugurated the “Shubhechchha” mobile platform at the event.
