Bangladesh appears to be veering towards a Taliban-like state, a development the majority of the population will never accept.
by Anwar A. Khan
Currently, Bangladesh is witnessing the presence of two parallel governments. One is an army-backed, illegal, and unconstitutional ‘Interim Government,’ or ‘Puppet Government,’ formed on the night of 8 August 2024. It is led by the controversial octogenarian Prof. Dr. Muhammad Yunus, who was found guilty of violating labour laws and has been sentenced to six months in jail. Despite this, Yunus assumed the position of Chief Advisor of this ‘Interim Government,’ operating from the State Guest House Jamuna. Many of his associates are seen as anti-Bangladesh.
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| Violence in Bangladesh [Photo: Rashed Shumon/ Daily Start, Bangladesh] |
The second power is led by the notorious Jamaat-e-Islami mass murderers from 1971, along with their successors and the brutal student wing, Shibir. They are working in conjunction with groups like Hefazat, Hizb ut-Tahrir, and other extreme Islamist factions, operating covertly across the country.
For these groups, the ‘Interim Government’ is merely a façade, and something resembling mob rule has taken over, with extreme right-wing extremists dominating the country. Adding to the chaos, numerous individuals awaiting trial have been inexplicably freed from jail, while politicians aligned with the Awami League (AL) and its allies are being incarcerated in large numbers, facing prolonged remand under questionable legal circumstances.
Hundreds of murder cases have been filed against Sheikh Hasina, her cabinet, and party leaders, and more are expected. Some rogue politicians are even calling for her extradition from India to face trial. Despite the severity of the situation, both local and international human rights organisations have remained surprisingly silent.
Bangladesh appears to be veering towards a Taliban-like state, a development the majority of the population will never accept.
The so-called Islamist groups are wielding 7.6mm rifles—arms that even Bangladesh’s police and RAB forces do not possess—using them to murder students, police officers, and civilians during the anti-quota protests of July-August 2024. These acts were part of a covert attempt to discredit the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government and deceive the international community.
The mastermind behind this violence seems to be a powerful Western country, which is believed to have supplied sophisticated arms in collaboration with Pakistan’s notorious spy agency, the ISI. This unholy alliance of Jamaat-e-Islami and its supporters has been drawn into a web of American geopolitics, with Bangladesh set to become a pawn in their strategy to control Southeast Asia.
These local fundamentalists, along with their Pakistani handlers and Western backers, are now operating in secret, staging dirty campaigns and lodging false cases to prevent Sheikh Hasina from returning to Bangladesh.
Most of the leaders of the anti-quota movement belong to the militant wings of Jamaat-Shibir-Hefazat, who are acting on orders from the aforementioned malign forces. These factions are seeking revenge on the Awami League government, which crushed them in 1971 under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, with support from India and the former Soviet Union.
There are rumours from reliable sources that this ‘Interim Government,’ or any future administration, may attempt to change national symbols like the flag, anthem, and the Joy Bangla and Joy Bangabandhu slogans—pillars of the humane Bangladesh that was established through immense sacrifice in 1971. There is even talk of demolishing the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in Dhanmondi 32 and replacing it with something horrific, using government funds. These achievements, born of bloodshed, cannot be erased. Any such attempts must be strongly resisted.
Looking Back
Sheikh Hasina’s downfall did not stem from the anti-quota movement; it was merely a pretext. The real forces behind her ousting were a powerful foreign country (the United States) and their local allies, including Prof. Yunus, the Jamaat-BNP coalition, the ISI, and right-wing Islamists. This was a meticulously planned operation, costing billions of US dollars, which culminated in her unlawful removal from power on 5 August 2024.
The primary objective of this foreign power was to establish a military base on Saint Martin’s Island in the Bay of Bengal. However, Sheikh Hasina refused, and as a result, she was forcibly removed from office, in blatant violation of international norms.
Following her removal, there was widespread looting, vandalism, and violence targeting Hindus, Christians, and other minorities, led by extremist forces who had opposed Bangladesh’s independence in 1971. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and smaller left-wing factions supported these heinous acts.
Scenes of students looting Sheikh Hasina’s residence were broadcast on television, with one young couple proudly displaying the sarees they had stolen. In an unthinkable act of brutality, another student was shown hanging her grandmother with the former Prime Minister’s underwear.
These forces also sought to destroy all of Sheikh Hasina’s development projects—establishments worth billions that had transformed Bangladesh into a near-developed nation. The demolition of the house at Dhanmondi 32, the historic site of our liberation struggle, was an unparalleled atrocity.
These forces, backed by the CIA and Pakistan’s ISI, have set out to erase the Brobdingnagian progress made under Sheikh Hasina’s leadership, turning Bangladesh into a puppet state.
It is believed that the army-backed ‘Interim Government’ plans to remain in power indefinitely before holding any national elections. However, their lack of political experience and organisational weakness has already become evident. While student movements can sometimes topple governments, history has rarely shown that such movements can lead to effective governance.
Political analysts argue that there is a vast difference between managing an NGO and running a country, and the interim government’s inexperience is already showing. Within nine days of its formation, there were questions about the removal of former Brigadier General M. Sakhawat Hussain from the Ministry of Home Affairs. The army and the BNP-Jamaat alliance continue to exert immense pressure on the government.
Direct communication with the people is essential for governing, and this interim administration lacks that connection, relying instead on military force.
If the new generation misunderstands Sheikh Hasina’s legacy, it will be a long-lasting regret. Only time will tell if they will realise the enormity of their error.
Adding to the crisis, an unprecedented flood has ravaged much of Bangladesh, leaving the interim government scrambling to manage the disaster with no prior experience.
The army-backed, Jamaat-influenced ‘Interim Government’ is illegal, unconstitutional, and morally reprehensible. Sheikh Hasina did not resign; she was forced out at gunpoint by the army, manipulated by the CIA, ISI, China, and local conspirators. Their goal is to turn Bangladesh into a Taliban-ISIS-style banana republic.
Anwar A. Khan is an independent political analyst based in Dhaka, Bangladesh who writes on politics, political and human-centred figures, current and international affairs
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