Dr. Yunus Urges End to Youth Surveillance, Highlights Internet’s Transformative Power
Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus has called for an end to excessive monitoring and control of young people, underscoring the decisive role the internet played in the fall of the previous government. Referring to the shutdown of internet services at the time, he said that when connectivity was cut off, young people became deeply agitated.
“When the internet was shut down, all the young people were enraged. The scale of the protest was such that they were boiling like hot oil,” he said. “What happened? The internet was switched off. Now you understand how vital the internet is to them—they simply could not tolerate it. That level of agitation ultimately forced a powerful government to flee. The internet shutdown played a major role in that.”
Emphasising the immense power of both the internet and the youth, the head of the interim government stressed the need to expand internet connectivity to areas still beyond its reach. He said that with internet access, even retired top teachers could deliver education to remote hill tracts and disaster-prone regions. “Without the internet, stagnation will destroy us,” he warned.
Dr. Yunus also urged the country to move beyond piecemeal technological development and instead embrace technology as a means of becoming active global citizens. He said that thanks to information technology, citizens no longer need to physically approach government offices to receive services. “When people don’t have to come to government offices, corruption will stop,” he said, adding that if either side attempts to misuse technology, countermeasures must be developed accordingly.
The Nobel laureate noted that there remains much more to be done in the field of technology. He criticised the long-held assumption that everyone must rely solely on jobs, describing salaried employment as a legacy of the slave system. “Today, we are slaves in exchange for wages,” he said. “But technology has given us the opportunity to break free from that system and become creative.”
He called on young people to take up the challenge of using technology creatively and becoming entrepreneurs rather than remaining dependent on jobs. However, he cautioned that those who seek financial assistance from the government for this purpose should be viewed with scrutiny.
In his speech, Dr. Yunus also urged everyone not to use technology for fraudulent activities, stressing the importance of establishing justice in society as a safeguard against misuse.
Dr. Yunus made these remarks on January 28 at the inauguration of the Digital Device and Innovation Expo 2026 at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center in Agargaon.
The expo is being organised under a tripartite partnership involving the Information and Communication Technology Division, the Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority, and the Bangladesh Computer Samity (BCS). Special guests at the event included the Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, ICT Secretary Shish Haider Chowdhury, Managing Director of the Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority Md Mamunur Rashid, and BCS President Mohammad Zahirul Islam.
DBTech/IH/MUM/OR
