Dhaka, Jan. 27 -- When Professor Muhammad Yunus stepped through the corridors of the July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum, the act itself transcended the protocol of a state visit. This was not a symbolic tour or a courtesy call on the museum. This act itself is a statement of historical accountability. In a nation that has just liberated itself from a period of authoritarian rule, moments such as these become a crucial test of a society's determination to face up to its darkest moments or to let those moments be blurred, distorted, and ultimately effaced. Bangladesh, in opening itself up to a museum such as this, has made a statement about facing up.

The museum represents a clear-cut turning point in the political evolution of Bangladesh ...