As Dhaka teeters under an uneasy calm following last week's violent protests, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has launched a scathing attack on the "powerless" Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, accusing of failing to maintain law and order and "multiplying lawlessness".
In an email interview with news agency ANI, Hasina warned that surging lawlessness will not only ravage Bangladesh but affect ties with neighbours like India. Hasina laid blame squarely on the chaos that toppled her rule, claiming it has exploded under Yunus. She spotlighted minority persecution, noting India's watchful eye on the turmoil.
"This tragic killing reflects the lawlessness that uprooted my government and has multiplied under Yunus. Violence has become the norm while the interim government either denies it or is powerless to stop it. Such incidents destabilise Bangladesh internally but also our relationships with neighbours who are watching with justified alarm. India sees the chaos, the persecution of minorities, and the erosion of everything we built together. When you cannot maintain basic order within your borders, your credibility on the international stage collapses. This is the reality of Yunus's Bangladesh," Hasina said.
Protests erupted in Bangladesh on December 12 when gunmen shot young activist Osman Hadi at close range in a Dhaka rickshaw, striking his head. He was airlifted to Singapore for urgent care, but succumbed on December 18 despite desperate efforts. This exploded into protests at Shahbagh intersection, where crowds demanded justice for their leader, who was a key voice from last year's July uprising and Hasina's ouster.
Hasina further raised alarms over radical Islamist forces gaining ground, accusing Yunus of freeing jailed terrorists and flirting with lifting the Jamaat-e-Islaami ban.
"I share this concern, as do the millions of Bangladeshis who prefer the safe, secular state we once were. Yunus has placed extremists in cabinet positions, released convicted terrorists from prison, and allowed groups linked to international terrorist organisations to take roles in public life. He is not a politician and has no experience governing a complex nation. My fear is that radicals are using him to project an acceptable face to the international community while they systematically radicalise our institutions from within," she told ANI.
She claimed the radical forces were using Yunus to present an image abroad while pushing a hardline agenda domestically.
"This should alarm not only India, but every nation invested in South Asian stability. The secular character of Bangladeshi politics was one of our greatest strengths, and we cannot allow it to be sacrificed at the whim of a few idiotic extremists. Once democracy is restored and responsible governance returns, such reckless talk will end," she added.
Tensions with India simmer amid anti-India rallies and the brutal mob killing of 27-year-old Hindu youth Dipu Chandra Das over alleged blasphemy on December 18, his body later burned. Hasina pinned the diplomatic rift on Yunus, charging his team with anti-New Delhi rhetoric and failing to shield minorities.
"The strain you are witnessing is entirely of Yunus's making. His government issues hostile statements against India, fails to protect religious minorities, and allows extremists to dictate foreign policy, then expresses surprise when tensions rise. India has been Bangladesh's most steadfast friend and partner for decades. The ties between our nations are deep and fundamental; they will outlast any temporary government. I am confident that once legitimate governance is restored, Bangladesh will return to the sensible partnership we cultivated over fifteen years," Hasina stated, raising concerns over worsening India-Bangladesh relations.
Outrage swelled after Das's death, leading to 10 arrests. The unrest prompted Bangladesh's Indian Visa Application Centre in Chittagong to halt operations over security fears. Hasina called India's wariness spot-on.
She further referred to the suspension of visa services, "A responsible government would protect diplomatic missions and prosecute those who threaten them. Instead, Yunus grants immunity to hooligans and calls them warriors," she said.
Bangladesh reels from waves of protests, vandalism, and torched media buildings as elections loom next year.