Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has pledged that Bangladesh will never again fall prey to autocracy, declaring before world leaders at the UnitedNations General Assembly (UNGA) that his government’s reforms are irreversible and that national elections will be held in February.

Addressing the 80th UNGA Session presided over by President Annalena Baerbock in New York Friday, Dr Yunus vowed to entrench democratic accountability, safeguard human rights, and ensure that “no elected leader can ever destroy democracy.”

“Our goal is clear: to create a democratic order where power is balanced, where no autocrat can ever return, where no elected leader can destroy democracy, and where those who are meant to protect the people can never again prey upon them,” the Chief Adviser declared.

Professor Yunus revealed that eleven independent commissions had been established to design reforms covering governance, the judiciary, elections, public administration, law enforcement, anti-corruption, and women’s rights. “We could have chosen the easy path: reforms imposed by executive order. But we chose the hard path: reforms built through inclusion and sustained through consensus. We chose the path that endures,” he said.

On the coming election, he affirmed: “As we prepare for national elections in February, we remain steadfast in carrying forward reforms that place citizens at the centre. Our focus is unchanging: transparency, accountability, and the rule of law.”

Reminding the Assembly that nearly three in every hundred people on the planet live in Bangladesh, he stressed that its significance lies not in numbers but in spirit. “Our story matters because it is a reminder of the extraordinary power of ordinary people,” he said, recalling the July Uprising. “It was our youth who stood up, who defeated tyranny, and who opened the path to a new journey of building a just and equal society.”

The Chief Adviser also announced sweeping measures to strengthen human rights, including inviting the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to investigate violations committed by the fallen autocracy, ratifying the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, joining the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, and authorising a three-year mission of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Bangladesh.

“All these steps reflect the aspirations of our people — to build a democratic, inclusive, and pluralistic society,” he said.

Turning to development, he warned that corruption-driven infrastructure projects had drained the economy and failed the people. “When we assumed responsibility, we uncovered the vast scale of corruption and theft of public resources, and the severe economic vulnerability it had created. We are determined to end this, so that development is never again used as an excuse to plunder the wealth of the people,” he said.

He named good governance, social inclusion, and sustainable development as the guiding principles of the government, stressing that “without accountability, development is temporary and fragile.”

On stabilising the economy, Professor Yunus highlighted reform of revenue collection as a cornerstone achievement. For the first time, legislation has separated the policy-making body from the implementing authority.

“This ensures transparency and accountability, and it will expand our revenue base. These measures are fully aligned with the Sevilla Commitment adopted at the recent FFD4 Conference,” he noted.

He urged the developed world to match Bangladesh’s commitments: “Just as Bangladesh is striving to implement reforms in line with the Sevilla Commitment, we hope that the developed world will also honour their responsibilities under that collective pledge.”

He also called for reform of decision-making in global financial institutions, an inclusive framework for international tax cooperation, coordinated action against illicit financial flows, and international collaboration to recover stolen assets.