Move To Establish Postdoctoral Scholarship In The Name Of Prof. Yunus, An Academician, Humanitarian, Now A Statesman

LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Aug, 2024) Prof. Dr. Aurangzeb Hafi, the senior P.I. for postdoctoral research in Asia and Oceania, has moved a resolution to establish a postdoctoral scholarship in the name of Prof. Dr. Muhammad Yunus, on the 2024's conjoint postdoctoral appreciations by the NPA and Asia & Oceania Post-Doctoral Academia (AOPDA).

Prof. Yunus, being an academician and economist, is the first head of an interim government in Bangladesh who has been applauded in such a manner and at such a high academic esteem on his first day of holding his office. “I do hope that being an academic, he would play a significant role in bringing peaceful environment not only in Bangladesh but also in the region,” Prof. Hafi said in a statement, issued on Saturday. He said the academic circles of the world have high expectations from Prof. Yunus, not only because he is an academician or a Noble laureate, but also for the reason that he holds certain humanitarian feathers in his cap. He was the first Noble laureate, who came forth to raise voice for Rohingyas – the most persecuted minority on the planet. In August 2017, a deadly crackdown by Myanmar's army on Rohingyas sent hundreds of thousands fleeing across the border into Bangladesh. They risked everything to escape by sea or on foot a military offensive which the United Nations later described as a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing".

In January 2020, the UN's top court ordered the country to take measures to protect members of its Rohingya community from genocide. Described by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as "one of, if not the, most discriminated people in the world", the Rohingya are one of Myanmar's many ethnic minorities.

In 2017, two open letters were written to the UN and other global hierarchies to stop Rohingyas’ systematic genocide in Burma. The content of these two open letters was then brought forth to the UN Security Council by Dr. Maleeha Lodhi. These two letters, which, later on, got a number of signatories (mostly from reputed academic segments), were drafted by Prof. M. Yunus and Prof. Aurangzeb Hafi.

The press release said Prof. Yunus is the first leader who has emerged out of Gen Z revolution on the face of 21st century, and has successfully taken charge of a state.

Helen Regan from CNN says in her report that inside Bangladesh, it’s being dubbed as a Gen Z revolution – a protest movement that pitted mostly young student demonstrators against a 76-year-old leader, who had dominated her nation for decades and turned increasingly authoritarian in recent years.

Her rule has also been characterised by growing levels of authoritarianism. Much of the opposition, especially the Bangladeshi Nationalist party (BNP) has been attacked and arrested. Extrajudicial killings have been widespread and journalists have said they feared doing the most basic reporting in case it was deemed to reflect badly on the government. Her separatistic approach and ties with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's fascist proceedings to make unrest in the whole south Asian region led to the Gen Z revolution.

Meanwhile, Dr. E.M. Nawaratne, the senior provost at AOPDA endorsed Prof. Hafi's resolution and hoped that it would help cultivate and evolve a constructive academic culture in the political orbits.

Dr. Zafar Saeed, former vice chancellor of Karachi University and senior postdoctoral thematic moderator of AOPDA, also endorsed the resolution and compliments for the new Bangladeshi leader. He praised him for seeking an end to all kinds of violence soon after taking charge as head of the interim government.

Prof. M. Yunus, in a message earlier, called for an end to all forms of violence including communal attacks on minorities. In a video, he can be heard cautioning the student leaders flanking him that if the violence against minorities doesn’t stop, he will resign. "If you trust me to lead your country, the first step is to cease all attacks on people, especially minorities. Without this, my efforts are futile, and it would be better if I stepped aside," said Yunus.

“It’s extremely appreciable that the academician has loudly and clearly shown his core concerns for the minorities, immediately after taking charge of the office in the first few hours," commended Prof. Aurangzeb Hafi.