‘No reconciliation without remorse’

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus yesterday ruled out the possibility of a truth and reconciliation initiative in Bangladesh due to the continued denial by the former regime of its crimes.

“Time is not right. Where do you start? Truth and reconciliation come when you admit that you were wrong, when you repent and show remorse for your crimes, and when you create the right atmosphere,” he told two former American diplomats.

The diplomats, who called on him at the State Guest House Jamuna in Dhaka, asked whether a truth and reconciliation initiative -- similar to post-apartheid South Africa -- was possible in Bangladesh, said the CA press wing in a statement.

Yunus said that as a friend of the late Nelson Mandela, he closely followed South Africa’s truth and reconciliation process but saw no possibility of a similar move in Bangladesh at this moment due to the continued denial by the Awami League of its crimes.

“So far, there is no remorse, no repentance. Instead, they claim that the young people killed during the July uprising were killed by terrorists. There are stacks and stacks of evidence of their crimes -- absolutely barbaric crimes -- yet they remain in complete denial.”

At the hour-long meeting with Albert Gombis, a former acting Under Secretary of State, and Morse Tan, a former ambassador-at-large, Yunus reaffirmed his government’s commitment to hold the polls on February 12 and hand over power to a democratically elected government once the results are announced.

“No matter who says what, elections will be held on February 12 -- not a day before, not a day after,” he said, adding that the vote would be free, fair and peaceful, and held in a festive atmosphere.

The interim government would remain completely neutral during the elections, ensuring an unbiased administration and a level playing field for all political parties.

The AL supporters are spreading fake news and misinformation in an attempt to create confusion about the elections, he said.

“But people are alert. Increasingly, they can detect AI-generated misinformation videos,” he said.

Gombis agreed that fake news had emerged as “one of the main enemies” of democracy worldwide and stressed the need for greater efforts to combat the threat.

During the hour-long meeting, Yunus and the visiting diplomats discussed a wide range of issues, including the July uprising and its aftermath, the rise of young protesters, the July Charter and the referendum and the Rohingya crisis.

Yunus said his government was campaigning for a “Yes” vote in the referendum, noting that the July Charter -- set to be endorsed by the people -- would usher in a new era of democratic governance and leave no room for future autocracy.

SDG Coordinator and Senior Secretary Lamiya Morshed was also present at the meeting.