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Bangladesh Army Crushes Yunus' Dangerous Plot: India's Stance Vindicated
Yunus appears determined to cling to power and advance a broader foreign policy agenda—but now, the Bangladesh Army has stepped in, triggering a political meltdown
A major showdown is brewing in Bangladesh. Like pieces on a chessboard, key players are taking their positions.
On the one side is Muhammad Yunus, whose unelected regime continues to govern without elections. On the other is the military, led by Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman, who is demanding polls without further delay. The clash between them is growing increasingly confrontational.
COUP, CORRIDOR AND CHAOS
Yunus is under mounting pressure to hold elections. Political parties, including the dominant Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), are closing ranks against him. Meanwhile, the military's patience is wearing thin. Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman recently issued a sharp public warning, stating, 'Bangladesh needs political stability. This is only possible through an elected government, not by unelected decision-makers. The army is meant for defending the nation, not for policing. We must return to our barracks after the election."
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The trigger for this escalation seems to be Yunus' proposal for the Rakhine Corridor—a passage from Cox's Bazar to the state of Rakhine in Myanmar. The United States is pushing for this corridor under the pretext of humanitarian aid. But General Waker has called it a 'bloody corridor," fearing it could serve as a launchpad for military logistics or proxy operations in Myanmar. The corridor, he warned, endangers national sovereignty and risks dragging Bangladesh into conflicts with both the Burmese junta and regional militant groups.
The army has made its red lines clear: 'We will not compromise on issues related to the corridor, national security, and national sovereignty."
Despite alleged attempts by the U.S. to win over General Waker, he remains unconvinced. His recent visit to Russia, along with his resistance to Yunus' attempts to cosy up to Pakistan, China, and the U.S., in the current manner, speaks volumes. Waker has now called for elections by December 2025, making it clear that Yunus' time is running out.
Meanwhile, Yunus is believed to be plotting a counter-move by engaging with other senior military officials. One such figure is Lieutenant General Faizur Rahman, reportedly aligned with Pakistani interests. Rahman has allegedly held meetings to sway the military away from Waker. However, sources indicate that Waker got wind of this and placed Rahman under surveillance.
Since the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5 last year, Bangladesh has been without elections. Law and order have deteriorated, and economic growth has stagnated. Public trust is eroding. Yunus, who was meant to be a temporary caretaker, has failed to deliver on his mandate—and some argue that this failure is intentional.
THE YUNUS AGENDA
Instead of focusing on stability and elections, Yunus has pursued sweeping changes that would alter Bangladesh's strategic trajectory for decades—moves that only an elected leader should undertake.
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He has undermined India-Bangladesh relations, erasing decades of cooperation. He has warmed up to Pakistan, disregarding the scars of the 1971 war. He has allegedly offered the Lalmonirhat airbase—near India's sensitive Siliguri Corridor—to China. Clearly, Yunus wants a strategic alignment with Pakistan and China against India. And fourthly, he wants to turn his country into a mercenary by serving up the Rakhine corridor to the US. These are sweeping foreign policy and strategic pivots that Yunus simply has no legitimate rights to undertake.
Yunus seems intent on clinging to power, using his position to push a broader agenda, particularly in foreign policy. His role was meant to be temporary, but he plans to overstay his welcome. This is also clear from his focus on foreign engagements meant to cement his rule.
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Yunus has been all over the world in less than a year— from the US and China to Switzerland, Azerbaijan, Egypt, UAE, Thailand, Qatar, and the Vatican City. It seems that by brushing shoulders with world leaders, Yunus is seeking to offset the need for elections back home. That strategy backfired recently when French President Emmanuel Macron refused to meet him at an upcoming UN conference. Following the snub, Yunus cancelled his trip. The facade is not lost on anyone. Legitimacy will only come from the ballot box, not photo ops.
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Under tremendous pressure to hold elections, Yunus even hinted at quitting from his position, but it soon became clear that this was more of a threat and a tactic to mobilise his supporters. Yunus now says that the country is in a 'war-like state," pushing for elections only between December 2025 and June 2026—after what he calls 'necessary reforms." The problem with that is Yunus does not have the mandate to carry out such changes and now he's asking for another year in power. In fact, the streets in Dhaka are plastered with posters demanding 'reforms first, elections later" and to 'keep Yunus in power for five years".
That may explain why Yunus appears reluctant to relinquish control. Backed by student groups and radical Islamist parties including the Jamaat, Yunus may be inclined to hold on to power for as long as it takes. His followers are radical but not strong enough to win elections. Instead, the BNP and Sheikh Hasina's Awami league remain the dominant political forces. Yunus' recent ban on the Awami league also shows his fear of free and fair elections. The Jamaat wants to hold off on elections until Sheikh Hasina is tried in court. But Hasina is reportedly in India, and India has no plans to force her out. These delay tactics are meant to buy Yunus time and continue to blame India for Bangladesh's woes. Yunus continues to claim that foreign conspiracies are undermining the government's reform agenda. In a recent address, he warned that if efforts to ensure fair elections and uphold justice are disrupted, the government—along with the people—will 'take necessary steps." Without the support of the military, Yunus has only one strength — street power. Violence has been raging through the streets of Bangladesh. It's ironic that Yunus cries 'foreign plot'—when his own actions reek of external influence.
Sheikh Hasina, too, has entered the fray. In an audio message, exiled Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina accused Yunus of 'selling out" the nation to foreign powers. 'My father did not agree to America's demands for St. Martin's Island. He had to give his life for that. I never thought of selling the country to stay in power." She described Yunus as a 'militant leader" who took power with the help of extremists and terrorists, many of whom had previously been imprisoned and are now roaming free. 'The prisons have been emptied. Militants rule Bangladesh now," she said. St. Martin's Island, a tiny but strategic 3-square-kilometer territory near the Myanmar border in the Bay of Bengal, holds geostrategic importance with oversight of the Malacca Strait. Sheikh Hasina has repeatedly claimed that her refusal to hand it over to American interests cost her father his life—and cost her her own premiership. 'I could have remained in power," she said earlier, 'if I had surrendered the sovereignty of St. Martin's Island and allowed America to hold sway over the Bay of Bengal."
INDIA'S DILEMMA
For India, this rift between Yunus and the army is concerning as much as it is vindicating. Relations with the Yunus regime are at rock bottom. Bangladesh has restricted yarn imports through land ports, prompting India to retaliate by limiting Bangladeshi imports through the same route. A $770 million bilateral textile trade is now at risk. Contracts have been cancelled on both sides — including a $21 million shipping deal by Bangladesh and an Indian decision to possibly drop an economic zone in Chittagong. But beyond trade, there's a bigger strategic worry. Yunus' reference to India's northeast as a landlocked region, with potential to become an 'extension" of the Chinese economy — and his offer to China for access to an airbase near India's Siliguri Corridor — a potential chokepoint in a future conflict — is a major red flag with direct consequences for India's northeast. The proposed Rakhine corridor could also destabilise Myanmar and trigger a refugee crisis that spills into India's northeast.
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India may see Gen. Waker—with all his flaws—as the lesser evil. He supports the 1971 independence spirit, opposes militant groups, opposes foreign interference and demands a return to democracy. This aligns with New Delhi's stance — Free, fair, inclusive elections must be held. But that also means the ban on Awami League must be lifted. Waker's opposition to the Rakhine corridor aligns with India's regional concerns. But Waker is also a wildcard — paranoid about being overthrown, and still carrying the baggage of his own role in Hasina's ouster.
It is unlikely that the military will seize power but it is not beyond the realm of possibilities, especially as Yunus refuses to restore democracy in the name of revolution. Bottomline is, Yunus' unelected regime is inflicting tremendous damage on India-Bangladesh relations seemingly at the behest of China, Pakistan—his external allies and the Islamist forces within. If he is allowed to continue down this path, the future of this relationship will be stolen from the people on both sides of the border. Elections are the only way forward. That does not mean that challenges will not remain. Bangladesh's election process will remain tarnished with the rise of Islamists and the violent state-led suppression of the Awami league. But an elected government, accountable to its people, is more likely to uphold diplomatic engagement and maintain true autonomy, rather than be swayed by external actors.
Location :
New Delhi, India, India
First Published:
May 28, 2025, 16:20 IST
News opinion Bangladesh Army Crushes Yunus' Dangerous Plot: India's Stance Vindicated | Finepoint
