CA urges youth to envision, not endure, the world
Published: 12 October 2025, 3:40:45
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has urged young people across the globe to have their own dream of the kind of world they want, rather than merely trying to fit themselves into the existing system.
“Young people must be courageous enough to transform their dreams into reality. They have the power to create society,” Professor Yunus said during a meeting with a delegation of young representatives of parliaments from Sweden and Norway at the State Guest House Jamuna on Saturday.
“People say youth is the future, but I say youth is the present,” he told the visiting group. “The world is changing fast, and today’s youth are not the same as previous generations. Your upbringing and access to technology make you a different kind of human being—almost a superhuman. All you need to do is ask yourself, ‘What kind of world do I want to create?’ Then commit to it. You already have the tools to make it happen.”
The visiting delegation included young political leaders from a wide range of parties in Sweden — Alice Landerholm (Moderate Youth Party), Arian Twana (Social Democratic Youth Party), Anton Holmlund (Liberal Youth Party), Dexter Krokstedt (Sweden Democrats Youth), Hanna Lindqvist (Green Youth Party), and Max Pelin (Christian Democratic Youth Party); and from Norway — Oda Røhme Sivertsen (Young Conservatives), Lars Mikael Barstad Løvold (Progress Party Youth), and Syver Kleve Kolstad (Red Youth).
They were accompanied by UNDP representatives Stefan Liller (Resident Representative, Bangladesh), Caroline Aberg (Deputy Director, Nordic Representation Office), Kirtijai Pahari (Strategic Communications and External Relations Specialist), and Emilie Andresen (Communications Analyst), along with Ambassadors Nicolas Weeks of Sweden and Håkon Arald Gulbrandsen of Norway.
During the discussion, the Chief Adviser engaged the young leaders in dialogue about their political visions and experiences, while they asked questions about the July Uprising, youth participation, institutional reforms, and the upcoming national election.
“July was a historic moment, especially because so many young women stood up against a fascist regime,” Professor Yunus said. “You’ve come at a time when Bangladesh is undergoing significant transformation. I hope you take the time to meet our young people and learn about their aspirations.”
He explained that following the uprising, several reform commissions had been established, including a Consensus Commission to bring together over 30 political parties for months of debate. “All parties finally reached an agreement, and we’re now preparing to sign the July Charter this month. This will be a historic moment for our nation. I don’t know of any other country where such a process has taken place,” he said.
Encouraging the visitors to explore Bangladesh firsthand, the Chief Adviser added, “Every street here tells a story. The graffiti, the wall art, the writings — you’re walking through a living museum of youth resistance and dreams.”
The discussion also touched on Professor Yunus’s “Theory of Three Zeros” — a vision for a new civilisation built on Zero Net Carbon Emissions, Zero Wealth Concentration (to end poverty), and Zero Unemployment (through entrepreneurship) — as well as his social business model that seeks to solve social problems through innovative enterprise.
