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NDTV
an hour ago
- General
- NDTV
Bangladesh's Muhammad Yunus Has A New Social Media Strategy To Counter Critics
Dhaka: The chief adviser of the interim government in Bangladesh has been busy. From official trips abroad to meetings with political parties that are putting pressure on him to hold elections, Muhammad Yunus finds himself increasingly cornered as he runs a government without a political mandate derived from free and fair elections - the cornerstone of a democracy. But a glance at this X timeline reveals how his office has been busy countering news publications on the functioning of his government or the situation in Bangladesh including the security situation. On Tuesday morning the X handle of Bangladesh's chief adviser posted an article about a column published in an Indian publication that opined on how Bangladesh has effectively fallen under the control of Islamist extremists who use Muhammad Yunus's international reputation to cover up their actions. Mr Yunus's response - The op-ed "contains multiple false and unsubstantiated narrative." The office of the Chief Adviser has, over the last few days, publicly denied multiple reports that have been published mostly in India. On reports of actions of Islamic extremists and radicals, subservience to the Pakistani Army and speculation that he may flee Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus says, "Such claims are entirely false and unsubstantiated or based on opinion rather than verified facts." Muhammad Yunus has been focusing on denying news reports from abroad as concerns remain about the situation in Bangladesh where terror accused have been released, and hardline and Islamic radicals have been emboldened. Indian author M.D. Nalapat penned an Op-ed "Meltdown in Bangladesh Gaining Speed," published in The Sunday Guardian Live on June 1, 2025, which contain multiple false and unsubstantiated narrative. Nalapat suggests that Bangladesh has effectively fallen under the control of… — Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh (@ChiefAdviserGoB) June 3, 2025 Muhammad Yunus's X handle has also been clarifying on reports about Bangladesh on social media. "Some social media accounts falsely claim that 20,000 Bangladeshi militants have joined the Arakan Army, recruited through a US-backed network and supplied with weapons and training. They allege funding comes from Jamaat-linked NGOs and foreign-owned garment companies in Bangladesh," Muhammad Yunus said. "However, these claims are entirely false and politically motivated to spread fear and confusion. There are no credible reports, evidence, or official statements supporting the existence of such a large militant recruitment," Yunus said. Some social media accounts falsely claim that 20,000 Bangladeshi militants have joined the Arakan Army, recruited through a U.S.-backed network and supplied with weapons and training. They allege funding comes from Jamaat-linked NGOs and foreign-owned garment companies in… — Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh (@ChiefAdviserGoB) June 3, 2025 Muhammad Yunus also seems to be keeping a close eye on columns being written about the political plays being made in Bangladesh especially when it comes to pieces about him or statements that link him to foreign powers. "...these allegations are entirely unfounded and appear carefully crafted to propagate the narrative of the fallen Awami League. The facts tell a very different story: Dr. Yunus is by no means a pawn of foreign powers. There is no credible evidence to suggest that the interim government is serving foreign interests, and the article's author fails to present any proof. Bangladesh continues to maintain friendly diplomatic relations worldwide while firmly safeguarding its sovereignty and dignity," Mr Yunus said in yet another post on social media while defending his regime's actions. "Contrary to claims that Dr. Yunus is facilitating attacks on minorities, the interim cabinet has acted decisively to contain communal unrest, rather than incite it. After Sheikh Hasina's ouster, the interim government publicly condemned sectarian violence and instructed security forces to protect all communities with maximum restraint. The July movement itself was not a CIA-ISI conspiracy but a spontaneous outpouring of anger by students and ordinary citizens against Sheikh Hasina's brutal, authoritarian rule, which had suppressed democracy and led to widespread violence," Mr Yunus said in the post. On May 30, Indian columnist Omer Ghazi published a highly controversial and propagandistic article in First Post, targeting Bangladesh's Chief Adviser, Dr. Muhammad Yunus. Ghazi accused Dr. Yunus of surrendering to foreign powers and accused him of being responsible for… — Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh (@ChiefAdviserGoB) June 1, 2025 Keeping with the practice of denying or dismissing news reports as false, in a post on May 28, Muhammad Yunus said, "Recently, several social media accounts have falsely claimed that Myanmar declared Bangladesh's Ambassador, Md. Monowar Hossain, 'Persona Non-Grata' and ordered him to leave the country immediately. These posts also allege that Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement accusing the ambassador of repeated "interference in internal affairs" and engaging in "activities inconsistent with diplomatic norms." In this case Muhammad Yunus blamed the Awami League and "some individuals of Indian origin". Investigation into the origin of these rumours reveals connections to deposed Awami League activists and some individuals of Indian origin spreading misinformation. We urge everyone to verify information carefully and be cautious before sharing unverified rumours," Yunus said in the social media post. False Claim: Myanmar Has Not Declared Bangladesh Ambassador 'Persona Non-Grata' Recently, several social media accounts have falsely claimed that Myanmar declared Bangladesh's Ambassador, Md. Monowar Hossain, 'Persona Non-Grata' and ordered him to leave the country immediately.… — Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh (@ChiefAdviserGoB) May 28, 2025 A day earlier, Mr Yunus again turned his focus on Indian mainstream media outlets, saying "Recently, several Indian mainstream media outlets have been persistently spreading false and misleading propaganda involving the Bangladesh Army and the Chief Advisor of the interim government. This disinformation campaign has also proliferated widely on social media platforms, especially X (formerly Twitter). These fabricated stories rely heavily on anonymous sources and lack any credible evidence or verifiable attribution." Recently, several Indian mainstream media outlets have been persistently spreading false and misleading propaganda involving the Bangladesh Army and the Chief Advisor of the interim government. This disinformation campaign has also proliferated widely on social media platforms,… — Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh (@ChiefAdviserGoB) May 27, 2025 Bangladesh's interim government led by Muhammad Yunus has been criticised over exceeding its mandate and overreach. While the interim government was installed with the mandate of reforms and elections to ensure a democratically elected government is able to take charge, it has been involved in major foreign policy shifts, economic affairs and even issues like a Rohingya corridor which has long term implications for Bangladesh's security. As critics question the radical shifts being introduced by the interim government without having a mandate, the interim government led by Yunus seems keen on responding to the news reports, going to extent of tagging the authors and publications in the posts.
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First Post
a day ago
- Politics
- First Post
Situation grim in Bangladesh: An Open Letter to Mohammad Yunus
On May 30, 2024, I published an article in Firstpost titled 'How Yunus's capitulation to foreign powers is wrecking Bangladesh's future'. In the article, I discussed how the 'student protests' that ultimately led to the ouster of Sheikh Hasina were orchestrated at the behest of US agencies working in tandem with Pakistan's ISI, and how Mohammad Yunus is able to protect neither the religious minorities nor the sovereignty of Bangladesh. The Chief Advisor of the Government of Bangladesh took notice of my article, calling it 'highly controversial and propagandistic' and sought to provide a point-by-point rebuttal. While, I may humbly submit, the panicked and rushed-up nature of the response is little more than a slight admission of guilt, this further provides me an opportunity to delve deeper into the unholy nexus between the US Deep State, Pakistan's agencies and the Mohammad Yunus government. I gladly take up this opportunity to further explain how the Yunus government is working against the interests of the people of Bangladesh and undermining the values of democracy, free speech and free and fair elections. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Chief Advisor of the Government of Bangladesh, henceforth referred to as CAGoB for the sake of brevity, stated, 'The columnist went on to claim that the July-August movement in Bangladesh was not a genuine, grassroots uprising demanding justice, but rather a carefully orchestrated operation masterminded by the CIA, with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) acting as a willing collaborator. No evidence supports this claim, and on June 27, 2023, U.S. Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller explicitly rejected all such allegations regarding American intentions on Saint Martin's Island.' The United States has denied any interference in the unrest in Bangladesh, with White House Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre proudly announcing, 'So, we have had no involvement at all. Any reports or rumours that the United States government was involved in these events is simply, simply false. That is not true'. While I appreciate the sentiment, I am, at the same time, hard-pressed to find an instance where a nation creating civil and political unrest in a country would admit doing so on official platforms. By this benchmark, the United States, similarly, has had no role in the civil and political unrest in countries like Libya, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan either. One needs to go much further than the White House Press Secretary to try to find the skeletons in the closet. Mike Benz, a US State Department official who served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Communications and Information Technology from 2020 to 2021, explained that 'the US also sought to influence Bangladesh's political landscape, particularly in efforts to weaken Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government. He suggests that this was due to Bangladesh's growing economic and strategic partnership with China, which US policymakers viewed as a challenge to their regional influence.' According to leaked documents published by The Grayzone, US agencies, including the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), worked to 'destabilize Bangladesh's politics'. He further explained how these strategies included recruiting activists, mobilising groups and using cultural and ethnic tensions to create divisions within society. One of the more unusual claims is that US taxpayer money was used to fund Bangladeshi rap music that was designed to promote anti-government sentiment. Benz suggested that these songs were strategically targeted at students and youth activists to encourage mass protests. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The US interference in a nation's political and social system often comes in the garb of promoting 'democracy, inclusivity and freedom', but these words hold as much meaning in this context as the words 'democratic' and 'people's' in North Korea's official name, 'Democratic People's Republic of Korea'. As per internal documents shared with Sunday Guardian, the plan to remove Sheikh Hasina as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh was set in motion in early 2019, and it became the latest victory for the US-based International Republican Institute (IRI). The Washington-based IRI's stated objective is to 'promote democracy through supporting democratic institutions, political parties, civil society, and electoral processes' and it serves as an implementing partner for USAID funded projects aimed at enhancing democratic governance. In March 2019, IRI, after receiving the grant for its activities from USAID and NED, started the process of execution of a program to bring about a regime change in Dhaka. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Moreover, no discussion on the US interference in South Asia can be complete without mentioning the usual suspect, Pakistan. It is extremely curious that when Pakistan Army was committing genocide and mass rapes in Bangladesh, it was India that intervened and saved the life and liberty of the people, and today, a large section of misled and brainwashed youth in Bangladesh are rallying against India and supporting Pakistan, but that is a discussion for another time. As per reports, the main architect behind the turmoil in Bangladesh that led to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government and left over 300 dead is believed to be the Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS), the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh. This organisation is believed to have deep connections with the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI and many of its cadres have also gone to Pakistan. There are reports that ISI members had joined the student movement by putting fake DPs of students and were engaged in instigating them on social media. The students of the Islami Chhatra Shibir got trapped in the clutches of ISI and the movement turned violent. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD There are also reports mentioning the influx of weaponry from Pakistan to Bangladesh to further inflame the unrest. And among those involved in the protests were also students of BRAC University in Dhaka, whose parent organisation, Bangladeshi NGO BRAC, is one of the world's largest non-profit set-ups. It has for long been funded by Soros's Open Society Foundations (OSF). OSF extended $10 million through BRAC in the name of helping displaced Rohingya people who had taken refuge in Bangladesh. Coming to St. Martin Island, let's first understand its strategic importance and why the US has been eyeing it since the time of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman. St. Martin Island falls into Bangladesh's Exclusive Economic Zone, and a potential military base on this island would provide any country with oversight of the Bay of Bengal. An article titled 'Mujib Refused to Allow U.S. Base in Bay of Bengal,' published in the Organiser on September 25, 1971, revealed that the United States had been attempting to secure a strategic military foothold in the Bay of Bengal for a long time. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This shows that the tale of the United States seeking a military base on that island is quite old. Therefore, when today, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina alleges that the United States has played a role in her ouster from power because she refused to allow the establishment of a US Air Force base on St Martin's Island, one does not need to be a Nobel laureate to connect the dots. But yes, you need to be a Nobel laureate to convince people that the protests that instated you as the de-facto head of the state were 'a spontaneous outpouring of anger by students and ordinary citizens against Sheikh Hasina's brutal, authoritarian rule, which had suppressed democracy and led to widespread violence.' Now, the question arises, why Muhammad Yunus? The answer is not that complicated. Yunus has been close to USAID and organisations like Ford Foundation for years, where Ford Foundation is already under the scanner of Indian investigating agencies for allegedly pumping up anti-India sentiment. Back in 2013, Yunus and USAID Administrator signed an MOU in a high-level ceremony to work in collaboration and, it was indeed very heartwarming to find out that the headquarters of Ford Foundation in New York has dedicated to Nobel Peace Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It is also extremely interesting to note that the Chief Advisor to the Government of Bangladesh is calling Sheikh Hasina a dictator, but is imprisoning journalists, banning the opposition Awami League Party and perennially postponing elections. If that is not the textbook definition of fascism and dictatorship, then what is? More interestingly, the US agencies promoting 'democracy' and 'freedom of speech' are nowhere to be seen when opposition parties are being banned under anti-terrorism law and 640 journalists are being jailed within a few months. And the less said about the state of religious minorities in Bangladesh, the better. Yunus did not facilitate the anti-Hindu riots but wasn't able to quell the chaos for a long time either. If you claim that after 2,200 attacks on the Hindu minority, you still 'acted decisively to contain communal unrest' in time, then I have nothing more to add on this. Also, as I mentioned in my column dated August 25, 2024, 'One has to be bafflingly ignorant to buy the story of job quotas and student protests for two broad reasons: One, Bangladesh's top court had already rolled back most of the controversial job quotas by July 20, a full 15 days before the Sheikh Hasina ouster. Second, why would a student protest categorically be hostile to the country's non-Muslim minorities? Soon enough, the cat was out of the bag. Rolling back the controversial job quotas did nothing to quell the protests; if anything, they were further intensified.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Even after refuting every single claim by the Chief Advisor of the Government of Bangladesh, I am still forced to admit that the most bizarre statement in that hasty reply to my article was: 'Omer Ghazi's article merely echoes the defeated Awami League's narrative, reflecting a well-coordinated campaign across social and international media to undermine Bangladesh and the interim government'. Well, the interim government, yes, but, Bangladesh, no. In fact, it is quite the contrary. India has always stood up for the people of Bangladesh and vice versa, and this equation goes back to the very conception of the state of Bangladesh. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, India has always had a warm relation with its neighbouring country, something that India is still aiming for. However, India is alarmed by the anti-democratic nature of the interim government of Bangladesh and is closely monitoring the situation on ground. Through this open letter, I wish to make this humble appeal that if the Chief Advisor of the Government of Bangladesh is really meaning to work for the betterment of people of Bangladesh, he should stop fact-checking articles on the Internet and rather work on freeing the imprisoned journalists, imprisoning the radicals and rioters, lifting the ban from Awami League party and conducting free and fair elections without delay. The writer takes special interest in history, culture and geopolitics. The views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.
NDTV
25-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Under Pressure To Hold Polls, Yunus Holds Meets With Political Parties
Kolkata: A flurry of meetings continued in Dhaka on Sunday amid pressure on Chief Adviser of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, to call for elections. Critics of the Nobel Laureate have accused him wanting to hang onto power without election. The mandate of the interim government was to conduct elections and ensure a smooth transition to a politically elected government. But Muhammad Yunus, more than nine months after taking charge, is yet to announce a date for election. On Sunday, Mr Yunus met delegations from political parties, some of whom reportedly made it clear that the interim government must focus on holding elections and not take long-term policy decisions, which they currently seem to be engaged in without popular mandate. A delegation of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP -- the main Opposition party during the Sheikh Hasina regime which was ousted in August last year -- also met him on Saturday evening. The BNP delegation has reportedly told Mr Yunus that the interim government must focus on holding election as soon as possible and allow a politically-elected government to take charge. The BNP has been critical of the delay in announcing the date for elections. Sources say the delegation has stressed on the importance of having a democratically elected government. In what was believed to be a dig at the unelected government that is focussing on major policy decisions like investment projects, a Rohingya corridor and other issues that go way beyond its mandate, BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman said, "The path to dictatorship is never written in a nation's constitution or laws. It begins when those in power disregard them. That's when fascism begins to rise." Critics of Muhammad Yunus have accused him of attempting to cling onto power with the support of Islamic radicals who have been using the students' movement that ousted Sheikh Hasina and her government as a front. A delegation of the Jamaat-E-Islami Bangladesh that wants Mr Yunus to continue amid attacks and suppression of minorities met Muhammad Yunus on Saturday. The National Citizen Party, an offshoot of the students' movement in August last year has also pressed him to stay on. Sheikh Hasina has accused Mr Yunus of "selling the nation to the United States". She also condemned the recent ban on her Awami League party, calling it unconstitutional. In an audio message posted on her party's Facebook account, the ousted leader reiterated that Mr Yunus seized control of the government with the help of extremist groups. "My father did not agree to America's demands for St. Martin's Island. He had to give his life for that. And that was my destiny as I never thought of selling the country to stay in power," she said in a post on X, now Twitter. The Bangladesh army chief has also said that national elections should be held by December and decisions on issues that will have a long-term impact on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country should be left to a political government to decide on. Commenting on the proposal for a Rohingya Corridor, an idea believed to be pushed by the US and fronted by the United Nations, the army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman has scoffed at the idea during an interaction with army officers, dismissing it as a "bloody corridor". Muhammad Yunus has responded to the calls for elections. An unscheduled meeting of the Advisory Council was held on Saturday, following the meeting of the Executive Committee of National Economic Council. The two-hour meeting included detailed discussions on three primary responsibilities entrusted to the interim government - elections, reforms, and justice. In a statement, the Advisory Council said it discussed how "unreasonable demands, deliberately provocative and jurisdictionally overreaching statements, and disruptive programmes have been continuously obstructing the normal functioning environment and creating confusion and suspicion among the public". The council said it believes a "broader unity is essential to maintain national stability, organise a free and fair election... and permanently prevent the return of authoritarianism". On this matter, the Interim Government said it would "listen to the views of political parties and clarify its own position".
The Hindu
24-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Bangladesh cancels $21 million contract with Kolkata based defence PSU GRSE
The Government of Bangladesh has cancelled a $21 million contract for construction of an 'Advanced Ocean-Going Tug' with Kolkata based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd, a public service undertaking under the Ministry of Defence. The decision comes soon after India's announcement of withdrawing the transshipment facility to Bangladesh for export of its cargo to third countries. In an information submitted by the company to National Stock Exchange of India Ltd and BSE Ltd under Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, the defence PSU on May 21 stated that Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh has cancelled the order. GRSE had bagged the order 01 Jul 2024, for construction of the ocean-going tug. A press statement by the GRSE said that the cancellation was on expected lines this order though would not have impact on GRSE's finances. 'Meanwhile, on anticipated lines, the order for an Ocean-Going Tug for Bangladesh stands cancelled based on mutual discussions between GRSE and the Customer. This order though would not have impact on GRSE's finances as the order is worth only US$ 2l million approximately Rs (79.75 crore) and would have contributed a mere 0.8% to GRSE's existing order book of Rs 22,680.75 crore as on March 3l, 2025,' a press statement by the GRSE said. The development reflects the strain in the India Bangladesh ties and is one of the series of developments since the fall of Sheikh Hasina regime in the neighbouring countries since August 2024. GRSE, in a press statement on May 22 also added that it has emerged as the lowest bidder (L1) for the construction of Next Generation Corvettes (NGC) for the Indian Navy. 'GRSE is the only Indian shipyard to have delivered 111 warships to the country's maritime forces & friendly foreign nations, including 06 Missile Corvettes ( Khukri & Kora Class) and 04 ASW Corvettes (Kamorta Class),' the statement added.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Starlink begins operations in Bangladesh
Dhaka: Starlink , a satellite internet service owned by Elon Musk 's SpaceX, has officially started operations in Bangladesh, an aide to the Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus of the Bangladesh interim government said on Tuesday. In a statement shared on Facebook, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser, Faiz Ataiyeb Ahmad, wrote, "Starlink has officially launched in Bangladesh. They informed me about it by phone yesterday afternoon and confirmed it on their X handle this morning." "Starlink is initially launching with two packages - Starlink Residence and Residence Lite. The monthly cost for one is 6,000 taka ($47) and the other is 4,200 taka ($33). However, there will be a one-time cost 47,000 taka ($372) for the setup equipment", he added. Ahmad said that people can use unlimited data at speeds up to 300 Megabits per second (Mbps). "There are no speed or data limits. Individuals can use unlimited data at speeds up to 300 Mbps. Customers in Bangladesh can place orders starting today. This has fulfilled Sir's (Chief Adviser) expectation of starting the journey within 90 days", Ahmad stated. The interim government in Bangladesh allowed Starlink to offer its services after a trial run on April 9. Starlink aims to provide high-speed internet access to even remote areas in the country. Ahmed said, "Although expensive, this has created a sustainable alternative for premium customers to access high-quality and high-speed internet services." "In addition, in areas where fiber or high-speed internet services have not yet reached, companies will have the opportunity to expand their business, and NGOs, freelancers, and entrepreneurs will be guaranteed uninterrupted high-speed internet throughout the year", he stated Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of Bangladesh interim government, congratulated everyone involved. Earlier in February, Yunus had invited SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to visit Bangladesh and launch Starlink satellite service in the country in 90 days. Yunus wrote a letter to Musk on February 19. At the time, the statement shared by the Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh on X said, "Chief Adviser invites Elon Musk to visit Bangladesh and launch Starlink in 90 working days. Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has invited top US businessman and Chief Executive Officer of SpaceX Elon Musk to visit Bangladesh and launch Starlink satellite service in the country." "In a letter to Musk on February 19, the Chief Adviser told Musk his visit to Bangladesh would allow him to meet Bangladeshi young men and women who will be among the main beneficiaries of this leading technology," he added.
