Yunus Talks Of "Elusive" Peace As Bangladesh Frees Man Who Killed Thousands

Bangladesh's interim chief Mohammad Yunus on Thursday said peace is becoming elusive in Asia and beyond, with wars and man-made conflicts destroying the lives and livelihoods of thousands. The Nobel laureate, who is in Tokyo on an official visit, said Asia must offer a "new moral compass" to the world that champions "peace over power, cooperation over competition, sustainability over short-term gain."

Yunus's lecture on peace came days after Bangladesh's top court on Tuesday overturned a conviction against a key Islamist leader, who had been on death row since being sentenced under the Sheikh Hasina regime before she was ousted last year. Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam was accused of killing 1,256 people, abducting 17, and raping 13 women during Bangladesh's 1971 independence war from Pakistan.

Jamaat-e-Islami had supported Islamabad during the war, a role that still sparks anger among many Bangladeshis today.

Who Is Azharul Islam

Sheikh Hasina-- whose 15-year-long autocratic rule as prime minister ended in August 2024 when a student-led revolt forced her to flee.-- banned Jamaat-e-Islami during her tenure and cracked down on its leaders. Islam was among six senior political leaders convicted during her tenure.

Born in 1952 in Lohanipara village of Badarganj, Rangpur district, Islam served as the commander of the Al-Badr militia during Bangladesh's Liberation War. He supported the Pakistan Army in quelling the revolution.

In 2014, he was convicted of orchestrating the 1971 Jharuarbeel massacre, when 1,256 civilians were brutally killed, and 13 women were raped in  Bangladesh's Rangpur division.

He had been in custody since 2012. Islam first appealed against his conviction in 2015, but the court upheld the verdict in 2019, and he filed a review petition in 2020.

After Hasina, 77, fled from Bangladesh last year and her Awami League party was banned by the Yunus regime, Islam appealed his conviction again, filing an appeal on February 27. On Tuesday, the full bench, led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, acquitted him.

What Yunus Said In Japan

Yunus, who is in Japan, addressed the inaugural session of 'Nikkei Forum: 30th Future of Asia' in Tokyo on Thursday, where he called for transforming Asia into a beacon of shared prosperity. He said that the world is getting increasingly turbulent, with peace becoming "elusive" due to man-made conflicts. 

"We are passing through a time of great uncertainty. We are witnessing a world where peace is fragile, tensions are growing, and cooperation is not always guaranteed," he said, according to Bangladeshi publication Prothom Alo.

Yunus said wars are destroying the lives and livelihoods of thousands in Ukraine, Gaza, and in the countries in South and Southeast Asia. 

Without naming India and Pakistan, Yunus said, "Very recently, our two neighbours have fought a short but expensive war. Regrettably, we are spending billions in fighting wars, leaving millions of our people starving or struggling for basic needs."

Interestingly, in his whole speech, Yunus failed to mention the civil unrest in Bangladesh that led to Hasina's ouster or the growing violence against minorities, especially Hindus, since then.