Dhaka, Oct 16 — Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor to the interim government, Muhammad Yunus, is allegedly steering the country toward an “Islamist mobocracy” even as the West praises his leadership for restoring democracy, according to a report published on Thursday.
The Eurasia Review report highlighted growing Islamist radicalism in Bangladesh, citing recent incidents, including the mysterious death of a US Special Forces officer at Dhaka’s Westin Hotel last month and a terror threat targeting the US Embassy. The embassy reportedly alerted local authorities about three suspected Islamist radicals plotting an attack, prompting Bangladesh’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) units to tighten security.
The report alleged that since taking charge in August last year, the Yunus-led interim government has released several convicted Islamist terrorists from prisons and restored the banned Jamaat-e-Islami party, which was outlawed under former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s administration for promoting a Sharia-based state.
“Despite his image in the West as a microcredit pioneer, Yunus has leaned on Islamist forces like Jamaat-e-Islami to maintain his political grip,” the report stated. It added that Yunus supporters vandalised the Deepto Shopoth sculpture, which commemorated police officers killed while fighting extremists during the 2016 Holey Artisan Bakery attack, as police allegedly looked on.
The publication also claimed that the interim government is persecuting military officials who led anti-terror operations under Hasina’s tenure, accusing 25 of them of “severe human rights violations” under the International Crimes Tribunal.
According to the report, while thousands of Awami League leaders and activists have been detained on “fabricated charges,” many convicted Islamist radicals have been freed, raising fears that Bangladesh’s secular foundations are being eroded under Yunus’ rule.
