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First Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
How Yunus's bowing to foreign powers, Islamist backers is destroying Bangladesh's future
Muhammad Yunus is at best a toothless figurehead, unable to quell the chaos, and at worst a pliable pawn in the hands of foreign powers; his government's failures—amnesty for rioters, media crackdowns, and delayed elections— are paving the way for a darker, divided Bangladesh read more Not long ago, Bangladesh was rocked by massive protests under the guise of student rights, demanding reform of a job quota system but spiralling into chaos that ousted Sheikh Hasina, branded a dictator, and unleashed vicious anti-Hindu violence. What began in July 2024 as university students challenging a 30 per cent job reservation for 1971 war veterans' descendants turned into a deadly anti-government uprising by August, forcing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India. As law enforcement collapsed, mobs targeted the 8 per cent Hindu minority, seen as Awami League allies, with 2,010 attacks across 52 districts, including 157 Hindu homes looted or burnt, 69 temples vandalised, and at least five Hindus killed. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel laureate once celebrated as the 'banker to the poor', was thrust into Bangladesh's interim leadership on August 8, 2024, as the answer to Sheikh Hasina's authoritarian tenure, a saviour who would heal a nation torn by protests and restore faith in governance. Student leaders and activists saw the 84-year-old economist's global reputation and microfinance legacy as a ticket to stability and fair elections, a 'second Victory Day' in his own lofty words. Leaders may have also used Yunus as a symbolic mask to present a favourable image to the West. But to call Yunus a disappointment is far too generous—his tenure has been a masterclass in failure, letting anti-Hindu violence rage unchecked while rolling out repressive policies that have plunged Bangladesh into fresh chaos. For more than a week, Dhaka's streets have been choking under the weight of massive rallies led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party's (BNP's) youth wings—Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, Jubo Dal, and Swechchhasebak Dal—demanding political rights for the young and a clear path to elections. As Muhammad Yunus jetted off to Japan, lakhs of supporters, draped in green, yellow, and red, flooded Nayapaltan, waving flags and chanting for BNP's exiled leader Tarique Rahman, who railed against the interim government's failures via a virtual address. The air crackled with frustration—roads from Shahbagh to Motijheel were paralysed, commuters stranded for hours, as the youth vented their rage against Yunus's delays, accusing his regime of clinging to power while sidestepping the 'democratic' roadmap. This wasn't just a rally; it was a warning shot, a sea of voices shouting that Bangladesh's patience is wearing thin. The protests didn't stop at Nayapaltan—anger boiled over at Dhaka's heavily guarded secretariat, where government employees revolted against Yunus's draconian ordinance allowing swift dismissals for 'misconduct', a move reeking of Hasina's old playbook. Torch-lit marches and sit-ins erupted, with bureaucrats slamming the law as a gag on dissent, their shouts echoing through the capital's gridlocked streets. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD General Waker-Uz-Zaman, the army chief, piled on the pressure, publicly demanding December elections, while BNP leaders like Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury warned of a deepening crisis without a vote. Caught between calls for reform and the clamour for polls, Yunus's government—despite planning adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud's insistence that he won't quit—looks increasingly like a ship adrift, its promises of stability drowned out by the growing roar of a nation fed up with waiting. Muhammad Yunus's interim government, despite its lofty promises of a democratic dawn, reveals a shaky commitment to those very values, casting doubt on the true motives behind the 2024 uprising that ousted Sheikh Hasina. The student protests, initially cloaked in the noble garb of reform, now seem a façade for something more sinister—a power grab dressed up as revolution. The so-called student protests that convulsed Bangladesh in July 2024, toppling Sheikh Hasina's government, were not the spontaneous outcry of a generation seeking justice but a meticulously orchestrated operation by the CIA, with Pakistan's ISI playing a willing accomplice. Hasina's refusal to grant the United States access to Saint Martin's Island in the Bay of Bengal for a military base—a strategic foothold to counter China's growing influence—had irked Washington. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Declassified cables from 2023 reveal US pressure on Dhaka for a naval facility, met with Hasina's firm stance to preserve Bangladesh's sovereignty, citing the island's ecological sensitivity and tourism value. Enter the CIA, adept at engineering unrest, and the ISI, Pakistan's seasoned hand at destabilising neighbours. The protests, sparked over a job quota system, were amplified by coordinated social media campaigns—fanning student anger into a full-blown uprising. Pakistan's defence minister Khawaja Asif's candid admission in an interview, 'We've been doing this dirty work for the United States for decades,' lays bare the playbook: just as Pakistan funnelled US funds to radicalise Afghanistan in the 1980s, it now bankrolled chaos in Bangladesh, training agitators in Chittagong camps and funnelling $10 million through NGOs to fuel the protests. The CIA emerged triumphant, neutralising a leader who defied its geopolitical ambitions, while Pakistan tightened its grip over Bangladesh, a nation it once ruled as East Pakistan. The real losers, however, were Bangladesh's youth, duped into believing Hasina was a Stalin-esque tyrant crushing their rights. They were pawns, their idealism weaponised by foreign hands promising progress but delivering ruin. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Post-Hasina, radical Islamic forces—emboldened by the power vacuum and ISI-backed networks like Jamaat-e-Islami—have surged, torching homes and temples while liberal Muslims face death threats for speaking out. Yunus's interim government, far from a democratic saviour, has ceded ground to these extremists, its amnesty for rioters and media crackdowns proving the revolution was never about reform. Bangladesh, once on a path to stability, now teeters on the edge of radicalisation, its youth betrayed by the very forces they thought would set them free, while the CIA and ISI watch their gambit unfold with cold satisfaction. India's principled decision to grant refuge to Sheikh Hasina in August 2024 stands as a testament to its commitment to regional stability and moral clarity, recognising her role in keeping Bangladesh's radical forces at bay while fiercely guarding its sovereignty against foreign encroachment. Hasina, for all her flaws, held the line against extremist groups like Jamaat-e-Islami, curbing their influence and fostering economic growth, while rejecting US demands for a military base on Saint Martin's Island. By forcing her out, protestors backed by the CIA and ISI have hurled Bangladesh into a vortex of perennial instability, with anti-Hindu violence surging and radical Islamists gaining ground. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Muhammad Yunus, the interim chief advisor, is at best a toothless figurehead, unable to quell the chaos, and at worst a pliable pawn in the hands of foreign powers, his government's failures—amnesty for rioters, media crackdowns, and delayed elections—are paving the way for a darker, divided Bangladesh, while India stands firm as a beacon of reason amid the region's self-inflicted wounds. 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.
India Today
24-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Karnataka temple tax bill, hanging fire for over two months, sent to President
A bill that seeks to levy a tax on rich temples in Karnataka has been forwarded by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to President Droupadi Murmu for her approval. The development comes weeks after Gehlot returned the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Bill, 2024, to the Siddaramaiah government, seeking clarifications amid opposition from other bill, cleared by both the Assembly and Legislative Council this year, had been hanging fire since March. The move comes after the Supreme Court set a fixed timeline for governors to decide on giving or denying a nod to bills passed by state per the recent Supreme Court order, the President now has three months to decide on the bill. The bill, which sparked a massive political row earlier this year, proposes a 5% and 10% levy on temples earning between Rs 10 lakh-Rs 1 crore annually and those above Rs 1 crore government has said the collection will be put into a consolidated fund and be used for the welfare of smaller temples, the upliftment of financially weak priests, and to provide quality education to their also aims to support 'C category' state-run temples having an annual income below Rs 5 lakh and ensure their the opposition BJP has accused the Congress government of framing "anti-Hindu" policies and alleged that there was bound to be violence, fraud and misuse of the BJP's Karnataka unit president, Vijayendra Yediyurappa, had alleged that the Congress government was trying to fill its "empty coffers" through the BJP also asked why the Siddaramaiah government was only collecting revenue from Hindu temples and not other religious InTrending Reel
India Gazette
22-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"A personal tour because it is hot in West Bengal": BJP's Suvendu Adhikari critiques TMC delegation's visit to J-K
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 22 (ANI): A five-member Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation is on a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir to meet residents affected by cross-border shelling following Operation Sindoor. The team arrived in Srinagar on Tuesday and is scheduled to visit Srinagar, Poonch, and Rajouri by May 23. Reacting to the visit, Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in West Bengal and BJP Leader, criticised the TMC's move on Thursday, calling it politically motivated and labelling the party as 'anti-West Bengal, anti-Hindu.' 'It is a personal tour because it is hot in West Bengal. But there (J-K) it is more pleasant. They are anti-West Bengal, anti-Hindu and especially since they don't get votes in West Bengal, that's why they don't have any interest in West Bengal,' he said. Adhikari further accused the TMC leadership of ignoring issues in their home state. 'They do not do any work in West Bengal except for corruption, nepotism, and appeasement politics. They should visit Malda's Ratua and Mothabari, and Samserganj's Dhuliyan first. The Kashmir report will not be enough; they should add the Malda and Murshidabad reports as well. Then the report will be complete,' he added. The delegation includes TMC MPs Derek O'Brien, Md Nadimul Haque, Sagarika Ghose, Mamata Bala Thakur, and West Bengal Minister Manas Ranjan Bhunia. Upon arrival, they met with National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Meanwhile, TMC MP Sagarika Ghose emphasised that a five-member Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation of public representatives from Bengal have come to Kashmir on a journey of 'solidarity, empathy, and sympathy.' Sagarika Ghose asserted that the border villages of Jammu and Kashmir have suffered the most, and the delegation has come to tell the people that they are not alone. She stated that the border villages must not be 'ignored,' and they must get the attention and relief and rehabilitation they deserve. Addressing the media in Srinagar, TMC MP Sagarika Ghose said, 'We, a five-member delegation of public representatives from Bengal, have come to Kashmir on a journey of solidarity, empathy, and sympathy. The border villages of Jammu and Kashmir have suffered the most... We have come to tell the people of border villages that they are not alone.' Ghose added that the team's visit reflects a broader commitment to inclusivity and national unity. 'The border villages must not be ignored. They must get the attention, the relief, and rehabilitation they deserve,' she said. (ANI)
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Murshidabad fact-finding panel's report has exposed TMC govt's anti-Hindu brutality: BJP
NEW DELHI: BJP on Wednesday said the report of the fact-finding committee set up by Calcutta HC on the over the Waqf bill was the most damning indictment yet of the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC govt. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "The report... has exposed the of the TMC govt in its full ugly form," BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said. Though Trivedi kept his focus on TMC, the Rajya Sabha MP did not spare others in the opposition, as well as peace activists. "Those who question, 'why war with Pakistan' have not uttered a single word about the atrocities committed against Hindus in Murshidabad. Not a single word has been said about the brutal killing of a father and son - Hargobind Das and Chandan Das. Yet, these very same individuals expressed sympathy for Pakistan following Operation Sindoor. " Amit Malviya, head of BJP's IT cell who also looks after the organisation in Bengal, was scathing on CM Banerjee over the committee's findings about the anti-Hindu violence having been masterminded by TMC functionaries and supported by police inaction. "The report squarely blames her party (TMC) and its elected representatives, including the local councillor and MLA, for abetting the violence and doing nothing to control the situation. Their acts of commission and omission emboldened police and civil administration to remain passive as Hindu homes burned," he said on X. The communal unrest broke out on April 8 in areas like Dhulian, Suti and Samserganj, with the violence escalating over protests against the newly-promulgated waqf Act. Central armed police forces were deployed only on the night of April 12, following the HC's orders. Union minister and Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said the committee's findings pointed to the involvement of local councillor Mehboob Alam, MLAs and other TMC netas. "Despite his role as a principal conspirator, police failed to act against him during the violence," he said.
The Hindu
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
SIT report on Murshidabad violence has exposed TMC's ‘anti-Hindu brutality', says BJP
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday (May 21, 2025) said the report of a court-constituted Special Investigation Team (SIT) on the Murshidabad violence last month has exposed the Trinamool Congress's (TMC) 'anti-Hindu brutality.' At a press conference, BJP MP and spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said the SIT collected details about the incidents of violence that took place between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Friday, April 11, 2025. 'From its observations, the mask of the Trinamool Congress-INDI alliance and the so-called self-appointed champions of secularism has been completely removed,' he said. 'Firstly, it is surprising that none of those who used to question the need for war with Pakistan, stating that action should be taken only against terrorists — whereas our government acted only against terrorists — objected to the violence against the Hindus in Murshidabad. No one uttered a single word on the death of father-son Hargovind Das and Chandan Das. The same people suddenly started showing sympathy towards Pakistan after 'Operation Sindoor',' said Mr. Trivedi. He claimed the SIT findings showed that the Trinamool Congress had attempted to create an illusion by propagating that outsiders were involved in the incidents. 'Some of their MPs had suggested that people from other States, especially Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, were involved. It is totally unfair, but in this finding, the name of a Trinamool Congress leader and MLA has also come up, and it has been said in the report that on April 11, all the attacks were carried out... under the instructions of local councillor Mehboob Alam, and the police and the administration did nothing,' the BJP leader said. Addressing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Mr. Trivedi said Mr. Alam seemed to be close to her party. 'The second thing that came up was that 113 houses were damaged and people had to even flee to Malda, while some leaders tried to claim that nothing significant happened.... then it was said that people want a permanent Border Security Force (BSF) camp and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) for their own protection,' he said, stating that people had lost faith in the West Bengal Police. He said the report highlighted findings that the police did not respond to distress calls from villagers. He also claimed that the assailants, who targeted Hindus in a planned manner, had their faces masked. 'If Hindus were selectively killed in Pahalgam, then in Murshidabad too, an attempt was made to selectively target Hindu houses and is now clear that the West Bengal Government cannot claim that there was no violence,' said Mr. Trivedi, asking if Ms. Banerjee would take action against her leaders and also apologise for the 'insulting and mocking' remarks made by her party leaders against the victims.
