A nation in crisis: The destructive path of Bangladesh's interim government

New Delhi: Legendary US President Abraham Lincoln had famously said: "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time". The Chief Advisor of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, may want to remember this before making any more excuses for poor governance. As the head of the Interim Government, he has brought Bangladesh closer to the status of a failed state in barely seven months.

The 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner assumed office on August 8, 2024, amidst much fanfare. A great deal of hype surrounded his appointment. Ideally, he was expected to ensure basic governance, pave the way for early elections, and hand over power to an elected government. Until the 2011 constitutional amendment during Sheikh Hasina's rule, Bangladesh had a provision for a poll-time interim government for 90 days, extendable up to 180 days. The Yunus administration, therefore, did not have constitutional legitimacy.

Ideally, after Hasina's exit, the President should have invited the Parliament to establish a consensus government. However, Islamists and student groups (backed by Islamists) sought to acquire power through the backdoor. They coerced the President to dissolve Parliament (thereby creating a legal vacuum) and pushed Yunus into the role of a messiah. The octogenarian economist fell for the trap.

Islamists used Yunus as a figurehead. He was expected to use his personal charm both as a safety measure to survive the legal vacuum and to prolong the government's stay by promising to build a "New Bangladesh". Yunus did just that. He promised to change everything, including the Constitution of the country on which he had sworn an oath. Initially, the common people supported him in the hope of better days.

But, that hope did not last long. Vested interests used the opportunity to create an environment for a staunch Wahhabi Islamic rule. They unleashed atrocities on Bangladesh's vast population of moderate Sufi Muslims. At least 80 per cent of Sufi shrines (Mazars) were destroyed in the first few weeks and months of Yunus government's rule. Attacks were launched on festivals in memory of the 19th-century Sufi singer Lalon Fakir. Religious minorities suffered widespread torture.

During the July protests, Islamists launched targetted attacks on police stations and jails. Huge caches of sophisticated weapons were looted from roughly 450 out of nearly 600 police stations in Bangladesh. At least three jails were broken into, and hundreds of terrorists who had been incarcerated by the Sheikh Hasina government were freed. After the regime change, they took control of the streets.

Yunus helped their cause by releasing top commanders and plotters with fanfare and turning a blind eye to the atrocities committed by Islamists. In a 180-degree turn from Hasina's war on terror, Yunus literally destroyed the entire anti-terror infrastructure. Every crack officer — both from the police and the army — who played key roles in anti-terror squads, are facing enquiries and murder charges. Some are arrested. Some others fled. Police is more affected as it operates directly under the civilian administration.

Hundreds of Awami leaders and MPs were arrested, and many were killed in custody. Thousands of journalists lost their jobs for writing stories in favour of the ousted Hasina government. Scores of top editors are facing fictitious murder charges, and many are jailed. Top editorial positions in the media are now filled with nominees of Islamists. Many media houses shut down. Leaders of religious minority groups were either jailed or hounded. Those arrested were denied lawyers.

The results are now evident in Bangladesh's social and economic life. Law and order have collapsed like never before in the nation's history. Rape, murder, and lynching occur by the dozens every day in Dhaka. The situation is even worse in the districts.

'Crime wave sweeps post-Hasina Bangladesh', international news magazine 'The Diplomat' reported earlier this month, detailing how not only are people vulnerable to crime, but their faith in the interim government is also eroding. A March 8 report by BBC Bangla echoed the sentiment.

Crime and business cannot go hand in hand. In seven months, scores of industries have shut down. In their attempt to disprove the unprecedented economic growth during Hasina's rule, the Yunus administration unleashed an attack on industrialists at the pretext of anti-corruption measures. The country's top industrialist is languishing in jail, and more than a dozen of his companies have shut down. He is not alone. Industrialists in Dhaka are now openly blaming the Yunus administration for destroying the economy. Thousands have lost their jobs. What are they doing? Some say they have joined the ranks of criminals.

Gone are the days of high growth, positivity, and prosperity. Bangladesh is now a failed state or on the verge of becoming one. Common Bangladeshis, many who saw a messiah in Yunus back in August 2024, are now regretting their misfortune. A number of surveys indicate that the current dispensation has failed to address the basic concerns of the citizens, including law and order, inflation, and employment.

Time will tell what happens to Bangladesh, but for now, the outlook appears bleak.

(Deepak Kumar is India-based foreign affairs and security analyst. Views expressed are personal)

Disclaimer: This story has not been edited by the Sakshi Post team and is auto-generated from syndicated feed.