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First Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
How Yunus' assault on shared Bengali heritage betrays his own nation
The Gopalganj violence, the failure to conduct autopsies, and the move to demolish Satyajit Ray's ancestral home are not mere missteps but a profound betrayal of the Bangladeshi people's trust and their shared history with India read more It is absolutely essential that the Yunus-led interim government take immediate steps to restore Bangladesh's democratic character while safeguarding the rich Bengali heritage that defines the nation and its deep ties with India. Image: AP The bloodbath in Gopalganj on July 16, 2025, is a gut-wrenching testament to the catastrophic failure of Muhammad Yunus's interim government, a regime that has plunged Bangladesh into a vortex of violence and cultural betrayal. This wasn't just a clash; it was a massacre, with at least five confirmed dead—though Bangladesh Human Rights Watch (BHRW) suggests a staggering 21 fatalities, a number the government refuses to verify. The Nationalist Citizens' Party (NCP), widely seen as Yunus's puppet, sparked the chaos by confronting Awami League supporters in Gopalganj, the symbolic heartland of Sheikh Hasina and the birthplace of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The state's response was not justice but repression: a suffocating curfew, over 160 arrests, and a chilling refusal to conduct autopsies on the victims, as confirmed by Jibitesh Biswas, superintendent of Gopalganj General Hospital. No death certificates were issued, and Dhaka Range DIG Rezaul Karim Mallick's vague promise of 'legal procedures' is a hollow insult to the grieving. As someone who holds Bangladesh's storied resilience close, I'm enraged by this desecration of Gopalganj, a place that embodies the nation's fight for freedom, now stained by a government that seems to revel in tearing it apart. This isn't an isolated tragedy but a symptom of a broader collapse under Yunus's watch since August 2024. The interim government has presided over a relentless wave of violence—murders, mob lynchings, rapes, and attacks on minorities—that has left Bangladesh's social fabric in tatters. The brutal killing of Lal Chand Sohag in Dhaka and the gang rape in Cumilla are not anomalies but glaring evidence of a nation spiralling into lawlessness. Yunus, with breathtaking arrogance, claims crime statistics show 'stabilisation', a lie so blatant it mocks the fear gripping ordinary citizens. The move to demolish the ancestral home of Harikishore Ray Chowdhury, Satyajit Ray's forebear, in Mymensingh—once the Mymensingh Shishu Academy—is a deliberate act of cultural vandalism. India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) requested for its preservation, offering to fund its transformation into a museum celebrating the shared Bengali heritage of both the nations. West Bengal's Mamata Banerjee echoed this plea, but Yunus's regime responded by saying that the said house has no connection to Satyajit Ray whatsoever, hell-bent on erasing a piece of history that binds India and Bangladesh. Belayat Hossain Mamun, general secretary of the Federation of Film Societies of Bangladesh, warns this is a trial run for further destruction, potentially targeting Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury's birthplace in Moshua, Kishoreganj. The contrast with Sheikh Hasina's government, which restored the Kishoreganj site, is stark—Yunus seems intent on obliterating the very soul of Bengal. Sheikh Hasina's blistering statement cuts through the fog of this crisis with razor-sharp clarity. She brands Yunus a 'murderer-fascist', accusing him of orchestrating a conspiracy to dismantle Bangladesh's identity through his NCP proxies. Her words are not mere passion but a righteous cry against a regime that has desecrated sacred symbols: Bangabandhu's residence, the Liberation War Museum, the national flag, the anthem, and the Constitution. She points to the NCP's 'March to Gopalganj' as a calculated assault on Bangabandhu's mausoleum in Tungipara, a site she rightly calls the heart of Bengali identity. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Hasina's assertion that 'Bangabandhu and Bangladesh are one and inseparable' resonates deeply, as does her praise for the people of Gopalganj, who, despite facing tear gas and bullets, stood as guardians of their heritage. The state's response—indiscriminate gunfire on civilians—surpasses, as she puts it, 'medieval barbarity'. The refusal to conduct autopsies or inquests, as admitted by hospital and police officials, reeks of a cover-up, a desperate bid to bury the truth of this bloodshed. Hasina's call for resistance is a rallying cry for a nation under siege by its own government. The international community is sounding the alarm, and rightly so. BHRW, in a scathing letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, accuses the Bangladesh Army of complicity in the Gopalganj crackdown, a charge echoed by a UK-based human rights group. BHRW's claim of 21 deaths underscores the scale of this tragedy, far beyond the government's sanitised narrative. The NCP, derisively (and accurately) called 'the king's party', stands accused of unleashing a reign of terror—vandalising and burning Hindu temples, statues of national heroes, businesses, and public properties. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This isn't just violence; it's a systematic campaign to erase Bangladesh's pluralistic identity. BHRW's demand for an independent UN investigation and the deployment of human rights observers is a damning verdict on Yunus's inability to govern. The silence from his administration, refusing to acknowledge the true death toll or address these accusations, only deepens the perception of a regime complicit in chaos. The world is watching, and Yunus's failure to act is a betrayal of the Bangladeshi people and their global allies. What stings most is the betrayal of the shared heritage between India and Bangladesh. Since Bangladesh's birth in 1971, India has been the unwavering friend of its people, standing shoulder-to-shoulder through the Liberation War and beyond, championing the dreams of a free, vibrant nation. The MEA's offer to rebuild Satyajit Ray's ancestral home was a gesture of brotherhood, a plea to preserve a legacy that transcends borders. Yunus's rejection of this olive branch is not just an insult to India but a slap in the face to the Bangladeshi people, who cherish their cultural roots. The destruction of such sites, coupled with the violence in Gopalganj, signals a regime that cares nothing for the shared history that has long united our nations. It's a gut-punch to those of us who see Bengali culture—its art, its heroes, its spirit—as a bridge between two peoples. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It is absolutely essential that the Yunus-led interim government take immediate steps to restore Bangladesh's democratic character while safeguarding the rich Bengali heritage that defines the nation and its deep ties with India. The Gopalganj violence, the failure to conduct autopsies, and the move towards demolition of Satyajit Ray's ancestral home are not mere missteps but a profound betrayal of the Bangladeshi people's trust and their shared history with India, a steadfast ally since 1971. The interim regime must heed the international outcry from groups like Bangladesh Human Rights Watch and honour India's plea to preserve cultural landmarks, such as transforming the Mymensingh site into a museum, as a symbol of unity. By prioritising transparent investigations into the Gopalganj deaths, curbing the NCP's violent excesses, and protecting sites like Bangabandhu's mausoleum and Upendrakishore's Kishoreganj home, the Yunus government can begin to rebuild public faith. Only through genuine democratic reforms and a commitment to preserving the pluralistic, cultural soul of Bangladesh can this government redeem itself and honour the aspirations of a people yearning for justice, stability, and preservation of their very identity. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 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.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Bangladesh's Jamaat-e-Islami projects force with a big rally in Dhaka
Hundreds of thousands of supporters of Bangladesh's largest Islamist party rallied in the capital on Saturday to show their strength before an election expected next year, as the nation stands at a crossroads after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. An interim government headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus said that the next election would be held in April. But his administration didn't rule out a possibility of polls in February, which has been strongly demanded by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its allies. Jamaat-e-Islami, which had sided with Pakistan during Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971, had said that it would mobilize 1 million people on Saturday. While Hasina was in power from 2009 until she was toppled in student-led protests last year and fled to India, top leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami were either executed or jailed on charges of crimes against humanity and other serious crimes in 1971. In late March 1971, Pakistan's military had launched a violent crackdown on the city of Dhaka, which was then part of East Pakistan, to quell a rising nationalist movement seeking independence for what is today known as Bangladesh. The party on Saturday placed a seven-point demand on the Yunus-led administration to ensure a free, fair and peaceful election; justice for all mass killings; essential reforms and the proclamation and implementation of a charter involving last year's mass uprising. It also wants the introduction of a proportional representation system in the election. Thousands of supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami had spent the night on the Dhaka University campus before the rally. On Saturday morning, they continued to stream toward Suhrawardy Udyan, a historical site where the Pakistani army had surrendered to a joint force of India and Bangladesh on Dec. 16, 1971, ending the nine-month war. 'We are here for a new Bangladesh, where Islam would be the guiding principle of governance, where good and honest people will rule the country, and there will be no corruption,' Iqbal Hossain, 40, told The Associated Press. 'We will sacrifice our lives, if necessary, for this cause.' Many young supporters in their 20s and 30s were also present. 'Under Jamaat-e-Islami, this country will have no discrimination. All people will have their rights. Because we follow the path of the holy book, Quran,' said Mohidul Morsalin Sayem, a 20-year-old student. 'If all the Islamist parties join hands soon, nobody will be able to take power from us.' The party's chief, Shafiqur Rahman, said that the struggle in 2024 was to eliminate 'fascism' from the country, but this time there will be another fight against corruption and extortion. Rahman, 66, fainted twice as he addressed his supporters, but quickly returned to continue to speak surrounded by other leaders on the stage. 'How will the future Bangladesh look like? There will be another fight … We will do whatever is necessary and win that fight (against corruption) collectively by uniting the strength of the youth to eliminate corruption,' Rahman said. It wasn't immediately clear why he fainted. He was later taken to a hospital for tests. The event was the first time that the party was allowed to hold a rally at the site since 1971. To many, the decision signaled a shift supported by Yunus' government in which Islamists are gaining momentum with further fragmentation of Bangladesh's politics and the shrinking of liberal forces. Hasina's Awami League party, in a statement on X, reacted sharply for allowing it to hold the rally on that politically sensitive site. It said that the move 'marks a stark betrayal with the national conscience and constitutes a brazen act of undermining millions of people — dead and alive — who fought against the evil axis (in 1971),' the statement said. Hasina, whose father was the independence leader and the country's first president, is a fierce political rival of Jamaat-e-Islami. The party is expected to contest 300 parliamentary seats and is attempting to forge alliances with other Islamist groups and parties in hopes of becoming a third force in the country behind the BNP, headed by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, and Hasina's former ruling Awami League party. The party had previously shared power with the BNP, and it had two senior Cabinet members under Zia in 2001-2006. After Hasina was ousted, tensions grew between parties over reforms agenda undertaken by the Yunus government, which is facing challenges to establish order in the country. The government has been criticized by Hasina's party and others for using force in a confrontation with protesters in a Hasina stronghold on Wednesday, where four people died. Their families complained that authorities didn't conduct autopsies and hurriedly buried or cremated their relatives. Yunus' office said that the government was doing everything lawfully in Gopalganj, the district where the violence occurred. Jamaat-e-Islami has now established close ties with a new political party formed by students who led the anti-Hasina uprising. Both Jamaat-e-Islami and the students' National Citizen Party also promote an anti-India campaign. The Yunus-led administration has banned the Awami League, and Hasina has been in exile in India since Aug. 5. She is facing charges of crimes against humanity. The United Nations said in February that up to 1,400 people may have been killed during the anti-Hasina uprising in July-August last year.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Bangladesh's Islamist party projects force with a big rally in Dhaka
Hundreds of thousands of supporters of Bangladesh's largest Islamist party rallied in the capital on Saturday (July 19, 2025) to show their strength ahead of elections expected next year, as the South Asian nation stands at a crossroads after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. An interim government headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus said the next election would be held in April but his administration did not rule out a possibility of polls in February as strongly demanded by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its allies. Jamaat-e-Islami, which had sided with Pakistan during Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971, said earlier it would mobilise 1 million people on Saturday. While Ms. Hasina was in power from 2009 until she was toppled in student-led protests last year and fled to India, top leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami were either executed or jailed on charges of crimes against humanity and other serious crimes in 1971. In late March in 1971 Pakistan's military had launched a violent crackdown on the city of Dhaka, then part of East Pakistan, to quell a rising nationalist movement seeking independence for what is today known as Bangladesh. The party on Saturday placed a seven-point demand to the Yunus-led administration to ensure a free, fair and peaceful election, the trial of all mass killings, essential reforms and proclamation and implementation of a charter involving last year's mass uprising. It also wants the introduction of a proportional representation system in the election. Thousands of supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami had spent the night on the Dhaka University campus before the rally. On Saturday morning, they continued to stream toward the Suhrawardy Udyan, a historical ground where the Pakistani army had surrendered to a joint force of India and Bangladesh on Dec. 16 in 1971, ending the nine-month war. 'We are here for a new Bangladesh where Islam would be the guiding principle of governance, where good and honest people will rule the country, and there will be no corruption,' Iqbal Hossain, 40, told The Associated Press. 'We will sacrifice our lives, if necessary, for this cause.' Many of the young supporters in their 20s and 30s were also present. 'Under Jamaat-e-Islami, this country will have no discrimination. All people will have their rights. Because we follow the path of the holy book, Quran,' Mohidul Morsalin Sayem, a 20-year-old student, said. 'If all the Islamist parties join hands soon, nobody will be able to take power from us.' It was the first time the party was allowed to hold a rally on this ground since 1971. To many, the decision signaled a shift supported by Yunus' government in which Islamists are gaining momentum with further fragmentation of Bangladesh's politics and shrinking of liberal forces. Hasina, whose father was the independence leader and the country's first president, is a fierce political rival of Jamaat-e-Islami. The party is expected to contest 300 parliamentary seats and is attempting to forge alliances with other Islamist groups and parties in hopes of becoming a third force in the country behind the BNP, headed by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, and Hasina's former ruling Awami League party. The party had previously shared power with the BNP, and it had two senior Cabinet members under Zia in 2001-2006. After Hasina was ousted, tensions grew between parties over reforms agenda undertaken by the Yunus government, which is facing challenges to establish order in the country. The government has been criticized by Hasina's party and others for using force in a confrontation with protesters in a Hasina stronghold on Wednesday, where four people died. Their families complained that authorities did not conduct autopsies and hurriedly buried or cremated their relatives. Autopsies are part of an investigation in any violence. Yunus' office said the government was doing everything lawfully in Gopalganj, the district where the violence occurred. Jamaat-e-Islami has now established close ties with a new political party formed by students who led the anti-Hasina uprising. Both Jamaat-e-Islami and the students' National Citizen Party also promote anti-India campaign. The Yunus-led administration has banned the Awami League and Hasina has been in exile in India since Aug. 5. She is facing charges of crimes against humanity. The United Nations said in February that up to 1,400 people may have been killed during the anti-Hasina uprising in July-August last year.
San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Bangladesh's Islamist party projects force with a big rally in Dhaka
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of supporters of Bangladesh's largest Islamist party rallied in the capital on Saturday to show their strength ahead of elections expected next year, as the South Asian nation stands a t a crossroads after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. An interim government headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus said the next election would be held in April but his administration did not rule out a possibility of polls in February as strongly demanded by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its allies. Jamaat-e-Islami, which had sided with Pakistan during Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971, said earlier it would mobilize 1 million people on Saturday. While Hasina was in power from 2009 until she was toppled in student-led protests last year and fled to India, top leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami were either executed or jailed on charges of crimes against humanity and other serious crimes in 1971. In late march in 1971 Pakistan's military had launched a violent crackdown on the city of Dhaka, then part of East Pakistan, to quell a rising nationalist movement seeking independence for what is today known as Bangladesh. Islamists demand free and fair elections The party on Saturday placed a seven-point demand to the Yunus-led administration to ensure a free, fair and peaceful election, the trial of all mass killings, essential reforms and proclamation and implementation of a charter involving last year's mass uprising. It also wants the introduction of a proportional representation system in the election. Thousands of supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami had spent the night on the Dhaka University campus before the rally. On Saturday morning, they continued to stream toward the Suhrawardy Udyan, a historical ground where the Pakistani army had surrendered to a joint force of India and Bangladesh on Dec. 16 in 1971, ending the nine-month war. 'We are here for a new Bangladesh where Islam would be the guiding principle of governance, where good and honest people will rule the country, and there will be no corruption,' Iqbal Hossain, 40, told The Associated Press. 'We will sacrifice our lives, if necessary, for this cause.' Many of the young supporters in their 20s and 30s were also present. 'Under Jamaat-e-Islami, this country will have no discrimination. All people will have their rights. Because we follow the path of the holy book, Quran,' Mohidul Morsalin Sayem, a 20-year-old student, said. 'If all the Islamist parties join hands soon, nobody will be able to take power from us.' It was the first time the party was allowed to hold a rally on this ground since 1971. To many, the decision signaled a shift supported by Yunus' government in which Islamists are gaining momentum with further fragmentation of Bangladesh's politics and shrinking of liberal forces. Tensions between parties over Yunus' reforms Hasina, whose father was the independence leader and the country's first president, is a fierce political rival of Jamaat-e-Islami. The party is expected to contest 300 parliamentary seats and is attempting to forge alliances with other Islamist groups and parties in hopes of becoming a third force in the country behind the BNP, headed by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, and Hasina's former ruling Awami League party. The party had previously shared power with the BNP, and it had two senior Cabinet members under Zia in 2001-2006. After Hasina was ousted, tensions grew between parties over reforms agenda undertaken by the Yunus government, which is facing challenges to establish order in the country. The government has been criticized by Hasina's party and others for using force in a confrontation with protesters in a Hasina stronghold on Wednesday, where four people died. Their families complained that authorities did not conduct autopsies and hurriedly buried or cremated their relatives. Autopsies are part of an investigation in any violence. Yunus' office said the government was doing everything lawfully in Gopalganj, the district where the violence occurred. Jamaat-e-Islami has now established close ties with a new political party formed by students who led the anti-Hasina uprising. Both Jamaat-e-Islami and the students' National Citizen Party also promote anti-India campaign. The Yunus-led administration has banned the Awami League and Hasina has been in exile in India since Aug. 5. She is facing charges of crimes against humanity. The United Nations said in February that up to 1,400 people may have been killed during the anti-Hasina uprising in July-August last year.
2 days ago
- Politics
Bangladesh's Islamist party projects force with a big rally in Dhaka
DHAKA, Bangladesh -- Hundreds of thousands of supporters of Bangladesh's largest Islamist party rallied in the capital on Saturday to show their strength ahead of elections expected next year, as the South Asian nation stands a t a crossroads after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. An interim government headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus said the next election would be held in April but his administration did not rule out a possibility of polls in February as strongly demanded by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its allies. Jamaat-e-Islami, which had sided with Pakistan during Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971, said earlier it would mobilize 1 million people on Saturday. While Hasina was in power from 2009 until she was toppled in student-led protests last year and fled to India, top leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami were either executed or jailed on charges of crimes against humanity and other serious crimes in 1971. In late march in 1971 Pakistan's military had launched a violent crackdown on the city of Dhaka, then part of East Pakistan, to quell a rising nationalist movement seeking independence for what is today known as Bangladesh. The party on Saturday placed a seven-point demand to the Yunus-led administration to ensure a free, fair and peaceful election, the trial of all mass killings, essential reforms and proclamation and implementation of a charter involving last year's mass uprising. It also wants the introduction of a proportional representation system in the election. Thousands of supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami had spent the night on the Dhaka University campus before the rally. On Saturday morning, they continued to stream toward the Suhrawardy Udyan, a historical ground where the Pakistani army had surrendered to a joint force of India and Bangladesh on Dec. 16 in 1971, ending the nine-month war. It was the first time the party was allowed to hold a rally on this ground since 1971. To many, the decision signaled a shift supported by Yunus' government in which Islamists are gaining momentum with further fragmentation of Bangladesh's politics and shrinking of liberal forces. Hasina, whose father was the independence leader and the country's first president, is a fierce political rival of Jamaat-e-Islami. The party is expected to contest 300 parliamentary seats and is attempting to forge alliances with other Islamist groups and parties in hopes of becoming a third force in the country behind the BNP, headed by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, and Hasina's former ruling Awami League party. The party has a close connection with a new political party formed by students who led the anti-Hasina uprising. Both Jamaat-e-Islami and the students' National Citizen Party also promote anti-India campaign. The Yunus-led administration has banned the Awami League and Hasina has been in exile in India since Aug. 5. She is facing charges of crimes against humanity. The United Nations said in February that up to 1,400 people may have been killed during the anti-Hasina uprising in July-August last year.
