Staff Reporter :
The Press Wing of the Chief Adviser, Professor Muhammad Yunus, has clarified his recent comment about pressing the “reset button,” explaining that it was a call for a fresh start from the country’s corrupt political system.
In a statement released yesterday, the press wing explained, “When Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus spoke about pressing the reset button, he meant initiating a new beginning, free from the corrupt politics that have undermined Bangladesh’s key institutions, threatened the economy, and deprived tens of millions of people of their civil liberties and voting rights.”
The statement emphasised that Prof. Yunus did not intend to erase Bangladesh’s proud history, particularly its Liberation War of 1971.
“When you press the reset button, it resets the software to start anew but does not alter the hardware. The 1971 Liberation War created the hardware of Bangladesh,” it read.
The clarification comes amid criticisms and what the press wing described as “misinterpretations” of Prof. Yunus’s recent interview with Voice of America.
Upon his arrival in Dhaka on August 8 to assume his role as the Chief Adviser of the Interim Government, Professor Yunus addressed reporters at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
He described the student-led mass uprising in July and August as Bangladesh’s “Second Liberation,” comparing it to the country’s original liberation struggle in 1971.
The press release also provided background on Professor Yunus’s activism during the Liberation War. At that time, he was an assistant professor at Middle Tennessee State University.
Following Bangladesh’s independence, he established the Bangladesh Citizens Committee, which launched a nationwide campaign in the United States to urge the government to recognise Bangladesh.
Additionally, he published the Bangladesh Newsletter to raise global awareness about the genocide perpetrated by the Pakistani military, as noted in the statement.
The Chief Adviser’s office hopes this clarification will address misunderstandings and reinforce Prof. Yunus’s commitment to a fresh, corruption-free start for Bangladesh, building upon the nation’s proud history.