Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Friday highlighted the critical role of unity, reforms and elections in Bangladesh's progress, saying that neither reforms without unity nor elections without reforms can propel the country forward.

“None of these three goals can be achieved alone,” he said, describing the correlation among them.

In a recorded speech delivered at a national dialogue’s inaugural session in the capital, Dr Yunus thanked the Forum for Bangladesh Studies (FBS) for giving three things - unity, reform and elections’ importance in the dialogue, noting that they need consensus on reforms.

The Chief Adviser thinks the minimum age for becoming eligible for a voter should be 17 years. “Young people are interested in the future of the country. To get their opinion about their own future, I think the voting age should be fixed at 17 years,” he said.

Dr Yunus said different countries have different ages for a citizen to become a voter and the Electoral Reforms Commission will surely recommend such an age.

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“I may or may not like that age. Suppose I am in favor of making young people vote early. The younger they are, the more interested they are in change—this is my argument. Youth gives them energy. Their deep affinity with information technology gives them this energy,” said the Chief Adviser.

Dr Yunus said reform and election preparations will continue simultaneously and mentioned that the work of preparing for the election is mainly the work of the Election Commission.

He said the citizens of the country do not have to spend time on this process until they get the election date.

But all citizens must participate in the work of reform, Dr Yunus said, adding that those who are voters will participate, along with those who will be voters in the future, should also fully engage themselves in the work of reform.

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“To make the work of reform easier for the citizens, we have formed 15 reform commissions. We will get their reports in January,” Dr Yunus said.

The responsibility of each reform commission is to identify the main options and recommend one to the nation.

In each case, he said, the recommendations are made by drawing on the opinions of different parties on how the future will be shaped through reforms, making it easier for citizens to decide.

Dr Yunus said he does not know what the Election Reform Commission will recommend but if the majority of the people of the country like the age to be recommended by the Commission, he will accept it to reach a consensus.

"All the reform commissions will place many recommendations to us. We have now reached a stage that whatever anyone’s opinion, we want to accomplish the reform works by quickly establishing a consensus,” the CA said.

He said the interim government wants to make arrangements so that "we can move forward on the path of elections".

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Dr Yunus said it is the responsibility of all-every citizen, political party, every social, economic, business and religious community-to participate in the reform process with joy.

He said the responsibility of each reform commission is to identify the main alternatives and recommend one of those to the nation.

Recalling with deep respect all the warriors who took part in the long struggle against fascism, he said, "I especially salute the students who were martyred in the July mass uprising. Our debt to those who were injured, who lost their eyesight and who lost their limbs cannot be repaid. The nation will never forget their inspiration and contribution to the formation of a new Bangladesh."

Dr Yunus said the sacrifices of the martyrs in the July uprising will not be meaningful without building a just society. Fascism drove Bangladesh away from all idealistic goals and put the nation into deep darkness, he said.

"We are working to bring our beloved Bangladesh back to the path of equality, human dignity and justice," the chief adviser said, stressing the need for building an economy that ensures equality of wealth and opportunity for all.

Dr Yunus said there will be such a political and state environment where the identity of minority and majority will be irrelevant.

"We all have one identity-I am a citizen of Bangladesh and the state is obliged to ensure all my rights," he added.