Idolizing individuals can be dangerous—especially when the intent behind that admiration is questionable, or when the admired seeks personal gain. Hero worship turns toxic when it feeds someone’s greed, hunger for power, or schemes to profit through manipulation. As for those praising Dr. Yunus—whether their intentions are pure or not—we’ll probably need another five years to know for sure. But one thing is clear: here is a man who’s openly expressed a desire to return power to the people through elections as soon as possible. It would be a stretch to suggest his motives are malicious. In fact, it may never be accurate to say so.
Dr. Yunus holds countless accolades—degrees, recognition, global fame. But when it comes to the gritty realities of Bangladeshi politics, he seems like a novice. If you put him through a test based on our traditional political playbook, he’d likely flunk with flying colours. If he had the cunning of a typical politician, he could’ve found a way to cling to power. Even if he couldn’t hold on, he’d at least be seen scheming. But that’s simply not his nature. In fact, it seems he’s more at peace when he’s walking away. Yet, paradoxically, this is the very man showing us—clear as day—that sometimes, it takes someone outside the political class to run a country better than the politicians themselves.
His tenure as the head of the interim government was a modest 239 days. The first fifty were spent patching up a fractured nation. He had to juggle more crises than we’ll probably ever know. But then came the “Yunus Effect.” What spell did he cast? No one knows. But he had the country reciting his version of “Dua-e-Yunus.” The same police, bureaucrats, businessmen, and citizens—suddenly everything started to function differently. Middle-class families were no longer grumbling at the grocery stores. Price-fixing cartels lost their grip. Hoarders backed off. Onions and potatoes were no longer outrageously priced. Relief swept through the land. Smuggling dropped, foreign reserves rose. The dollar flowed in, and people began to smile again.
During Eid, people swarmed him—not to protest, but to grab his hand and plead, “Please don’t go! Bangladesh needs you more than ever!”
When was the last time you heard of a Prime Minister who was sincerely prayed for in every household? It’s ironic that a man labeled a “loan shark,” “enemy of the state,” “tax evader,” or even “wanted criminal,” is receiving this much heartfelt support from ordinary people. Not just within Bangladesh—world leaders from the UN Secretary-General to the President of the United States, as well as renowned public figures and donor organizations, are all watching him with hopeful eyes. Everyone seems to want a piece of his clarity and calm. What is it about this 84-year-old man? Is he slowly emerging as a true statesman?
Word is, even Myanmar’s junta is warming up to the idea of returning the Rohingya refugees. Reports say the first group to return could number 180,000. Is this the long-awaited fulfillment of a promise? Will the displaced finally be able to spend next Eid at home, beside their ancestral graves? There’s real hope in the air. And the more we listen to Dr. Yunus and see what he does, the more enchanted we become. Does he know some kind of magic?
After the late President Ziaur Rahman, Dr. Yunus might just be the only other figure who’s reshaping the expectations of what a leader can be in Bangladesh. One can’t help but wonder—can our elected leaders really offer more than this? Can they truly inspire hope, change, and a sense of national unity like this? The people have now tasted something rare—and they want more. They want their own Canadian-style decency and accountability—delivered by a man named Yunus.
And honestly? We hope he doesn’t win another Nobel Prize. Why stir the pot further? Why add more enemies at this age? He’s already swimming upstream through enough drama. Let him breathe. But hey—if the Nobel wants to honour itself by awarding him again, no one’s stopping them. There may be a big surprise coming in November. Ready for another celebration?
So who brought Dr. Yunus into government? It wasn’t some shadowy elite—it was the voice of students and ordinary citizens. And he won’t leave until they ask him to. Will he just walk away without finishing the job? Leave reforms half-done? That’s hard to imagine. We can’t afford to restart the cycle of chaos and bloodshed. Yunus isn’t just a person—he’s a national blessing.
When he sat across from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, looked him in the eye, and wrapped up the meeting with dignity and quiet strength—it sent a clear message: Bangladesh needs a Yunus. This generation is completely, unapologetically mesmerized.
