Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus met with prominent Thai figures over breakfast before attending the BIMSTEC summit, where he pledged to hold free, fair, and inclusive elections after necessary reforms. Recalling the July uprising, Yunus said, “In 1971, millions of men, women, children, and youth fought against a brutal military regime and sacrificed everything. In the past 15 years, however, citizens witnessed a steady erosion of rights and institutional decay.” He added that nearly 2,000 people, mostly youth and including 118 children, lost their lives while resisting an authoritarian regime. “I accepted the responsibility of leading the interim government at the people’s request,” Yunus said, reaffirming a strong commitment to restoring economic stability and pursuing far-reaching reforms. He also outlined key components of the reform process.