Speeches at functions like these tend to be fairly prosaic, and one does not expect to be inspired and uplifted, so no one was really expecting Prof Yunus to electrify the audience with a barn-burner of an oration.

But that is precisely what the 2000 plus who were present were treated to, and apart from adding excitement to the event, the speech set forth an inspiring blueprint for how the long-suffering people of this country can retake control of our political destiny.

Prof Yunus's speech was equal parts visionary political philosophy and equal parts a call to arms to the citizens of the country to take back the democratic process.

It was the kind of speech that renewed your hope in the political process and made you think that the resolution of our political problems in this country, and by extension all the other troubles that we are faced with, is within our grasp as a nation.

Let us strike while the iron is hot. While the excitement is still in the air, it should be possible for concerned and committed citizens to get together to make the most immediate item on the political agenda -- free and fair elections in which the electorate is provided with a meaningful choice -- a reality.

The issue of free and fair elections is something that a large cross-section of citizens' groups have been working to ensure for some time now. However, the work of these organizations and movements has so far failed to gain much traction with the public.

But the endorsement of Bangladesh's most celebrated figure is bound to give the disparate movements a shot in the arm and provide them with a focal point for concentrating the public's attention.

Now, the issue of good elections encompasses a number of variables.

The first of these is who is on the ballot. The principal suggestion made by Prof Yunus had to do with public mobilization and empowerment to ensure that the political parties run decent candidates for office and not party insiders or corrupt elements.

The second issue is how to ensure that the elections are free and fair. Prof Yunus didn't address this issue directly in his speech, but if the kind of public mobilization that he outlined becomes a reality, then a credible and legitimate election becomes the logical consequence.

Good elections really only require three things: the first is that the voter roll be acceptable, the second is that people are able to vote without threat or intimidation, and the third is that the count must be open and transparent.

All of the above are readily achievable if the public is sufficiently mobilized and motivated to ensure that they occur.

Think back to the elections of 1991. Emerging from a decade of autocratic rule, the Bangladeshi people were united in their desire for good elections and to participate fully in the democratic process.

It wouldn't have been possible to steal those elections, as everyone felt that they had a stake in the process, and the citizenry were united in their determination that nothing should stand in the way of good elections.

There is no reason why we should not be able to recreate that national mood for the upcoming elections.

If there is mass mobilization of the public at each polling station and the vote counting is done in an open and transparent manner, then it becomes impossible for any one side to steal the election.

Thus, Prof Yunus's suggestion of mobilization and empowerment of the general public as the means to move beyond our current moribund political reality is right on the money.

The question is now that there is momentum and buzz building behind these movements, how do we capitalize on them?

It seems to me that the election issue can be split into two component parts:

The first one is the issue of people's participation and ensuring good candidates. What is now needed is for citizens' groups to organize themselves on a constituency-based level and work with the local party leaders to ensure that the voters' demands are addressed.

The beauty of this approach is that it does not require legislation to be passed or the actions of judges or the police to be enforced.

With the media and local groups working together in each constituency, there is no reason why this movement cannot gain traction. The fact that Prof Yunus has put his imprimatur behind it should certainly help.

One thing which other members of civil society could do would be to endorse this idea and work to spread it through the country. Pressure can then be placed on the political parties to fall in line or face a backlash at the polls.

There are many disparate groups in the country, working on different aspects of ensuring good elections, and what is actually needed is for these forces to have one focal point.

Perhaps it is not what he had in mind, but I would suggest that these groups could do nothing better than to try to draft Prof Yunus himself to head up this effort. No good deed goes unpunished. Perhaps the price Prof Yunus will have to pay for coming up with this idea is to be at the forefront of its implementation.

I think that Prof Yunus's own personal leadership is precisely what the effort needs. The movement requires someone of his stature, ability, and integrity to succeed.

Likewise, Prof Yunus himself would be a prime candidate for the "Respected Person" he suggested in his speech to act as mediator between the BNP and the AL to try to move beyond the present political impasse with regard to the opposition's reform proposals.

I am sure he did not have himself in mind when he made the suggestion, but who can deny that he would be one of the names on a very short list who would be suitable for the job.

I understand the Prof Yunus has the Grameen Bank to run. Has he not, he might reasonably ask, done more than enough for the country, that he must now be asked to take a lead role in ensuring the legitimacy of the upcoming elections?

But for all of us those in the country who have long bemoaned the calibre of our elected leaders and hoped that the more respected members of civil society would step up their engagement with the political process, the involvement of the likes of Prof Yunus would be extremely encouraging.

Prof Yunus has undoubtedly been wise not to have ever joined or been too closely identified with any political party. The political climate in Bangladesh is so polarized that doing so would have run the risk of getting in the way of the smooth functioning of Grameen Bank, which has done so much good for so many.

But non-partisan political engagement is another issue. By stepping squarely into the debate on elections, Prof Yunus has signaled that even though he will not take sides, he might be willing to play a lead role in ensuring the continued viability of the democratic process.

Let us hope that he is and that he is not the only one. Civil society must be willing to expend its time and effort on a non-partisan basis to ensure that the upcoming elections are free and fair and offer the people a meaningful choice.

Zafar Sobhan is Assistant Editor, The Daily Star.