Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has strongly criticised the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, as the neighbouring nation is currently witnessing unrest following violence that erupted last week. She accused the government of allegedly empowering extremist elements, stoking anti-India sentiment, and weakening democratic structures.
In an email interview with the news agency ANI, Sheikh Hasina addressed the growing hostility towards India in Bangladesh and the safety of Indian diplomats. She alleged that recent tensions were deliberately engineered.
ANI quoted the ousted Bangladesh PM as saying, “This hostility is being manufactured by extremists whom the Yunus regime has emboldened.”
“These are the same actors who marched on the Indian embassy and attacked our media offices, who attack minorities with impunity, and who forced me and my family to flee for our lives,” she added.
Sheikh Hasina further alleged that Yunus had “placed such figures in positions of power and released convicted terrorists from prison.”
The former PM stated that New Delhi’s worries about the security of its diplomatic staff were well-founded.
“A responsible government would protect diplomatic missions and prosecute those who threaten them. Instead, Yunus grants immunity to hooligans and calls them warriors,” she said.
On the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) verdict against her, Hasina dismissed the ruling as politically driven. “This verdict has nothing to do with justice and everything to do with political elimination,” she said.
Alleging procedural unfairness, she added, “I was denied the right to defend myself, and denied lawyers of my choosing. The tribunal was used to perpetrate a witch hunt of the Awami League.”
Despite these allegations, Hasina said she continued to believe in Bangladesh’s constitutional foundations. “My faith is not lost in Bangladesh’s institutions, however. Our constitutional tradition is strong, and when legitimate governance is restored and our judiciary regains its independence, justice will prevail,” she said.
On the strain in India-Bangladesh ties, including Dhaka’s move to summon the Indian envoy, Hasina placed responsibility on the interim administration. “The strain you are witnessing is entirely of Yunus’s making,” she said.
She accused it of adopting an adversarial posture towards India, failing to protect minorities, and allowing extremist influence in policymaking.
Highlighting bilateral ties, Hasina said, “India has been Bangladesh’s most steadfast friend and partner for decades,” adding that the relationship was “deep and fundamental” and would “outlast any temporary government.”
Referring to the killing of Sharif Usman Hadi, Hasina said the incident illustrated the prevailing breakdown of law and order. She said persistent instability undermines Bangladesh’s standing abroad.
“When you cannot maintain basic order within your borders, your credibility on the international stage collapses,” Hasina said.
On the growing role of Islamist forces, Hasina said, “I share this concern, as do the millions of Bangladeshis who prefer the safe, secular state we once were.”
She alleged that Yunus had “placed extremists in cabinet positions, released convicted terrorists from prison, and allowed groups linked to international terrorist organisations to take roles in public life.”
“This should alarm not only India, but every nation invested in South Asian stability,” she said, adding, “The secular character of Bangladeshi politics was one of our greatest strengths.”
Responding to remarks by some Bangladeshi leaders referencing the Siliguri Corridor or “Chicken’s Neck,” Hasina termed such statements “dangerous and irresponsible.”
“No serious leader would threaten a neighbour upon whom Bangladesh depends for trade, transit, and regional stability,” she said.
Emphasising that such views did not reflect public opinion, she said, “These voices do not represent the Bangladeshi people,” and expressed confidence that “once democracy is restored and responsible governance returns, such reckless talk will end.”
On signs of closer Pakistan-Bangladesh engagement, Hasina said Bangladesh had traditionally adhered to “friendship to all, malice toward none,” but criticised the interim leadership’s actions.
