Yunus says internet shutdown during Uprising ignited youth anger that toppled ‘powerful’ government

Bangladesh will "rapidly fall behind" if the state, institutions, and policymaking fail to keep pace with the changing world, he says

Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has said the consequences of the internet shutdown during the July Uprising unleashed youth frustration that toppled a “mighty” government.

Speaking at the inauguration of the four-day Digital Devices and Innovation Expo on Wednesday, the interim government head said: "When the internet was cut off, the nation’s youth became incensed.

“The scale of that protest was such that they were seething like boiling oil."

He added, “They could not tolerate it. It was this tension and fury that eventually forced a powerful government to flee."

He urged policymakers to align state institutions with the fast-evolving technological world, warning that Bangladesh could otherwise “rapidly fall behind”.

He noted that the world is currently changing at a pace faster than at any time in history.

"Things we cannot even imagine yet will become a reality," he said.

The Nobel laureate warned that if the state, its institutions, and policies do not align with this momentum, Bangladesh will "quickly fall behind”.