Dhaka:

Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in exile in India, called the South Asian nation’s interim government chief Muhammad Yunus a “mobster” and accused him of unleashing “terrorists” and fostering “lawlessness” in the country. In response, Dhaka reaffirmed its commitment to bringing her back from India and stressed securing Ms Hasina’s extradition remains its top priority. 

Ms Hasina, who fled to India after her government was toppled in a student-led uprising on August 5, 2024, on Monday held a one-on-one interaction on Zoom with the widows of four policemen killed during last July’s student uprising. During the conversation, the ousted leader commiserated on their tragic loss and promised redressal upon her return.

“The killings were part of his meticulous conspiracy to throw me out of power,” she said, adding “I will return and avenge the deaths of our policemen.”

Accusing Mr Yunus of dissolving all inquiry committees, Ms Hasina alleged the interim government has “unleashed terrorists” to butcher people.

“They are destroying Bangladesh,” she said. Ms Hasina further claimed that she escaped an assassination attempt narrowly when her government was overthrown, stating, “By the grace of God, I was kept alive to do something good. I will return and ensure justice for all of you.”

The four policemen were killed when Ms Hasina tried to suppress the student-led protests last year in July-August. The moment which started as protests against a controversial quota system soon culminated in a call for her ouster.

In a teary address, Ms Hasina noted that nearly 450 police stations were also set on fire and said the killings were part of a larger conspiracy orchestrated by Mr Yunus, who has since accepted there was a “design and conspiracy” to remove Ms Hasina.

“The killings were part of his meticulous conspiracy to throw me out of power,” she said.

The former premier added that “mobster” Muhammad Yunus and others who caused these killings would be brought to justice “on Bangla soil”.

“This government that usurped power has to go. People have to ensure that. Human rights violations under him (Mr Yunus) have been unprecedented. We have to ensure the people put him out of power,” she added. 

Dhaka’s Response

Soon after Ms Hasina’s Zoom interaction, Bangladesh’s interim administration stressed that securing the former Prime Minister’s extradition from India remains their topmost priority. 

“This is the government’s top priority. We will continue our efforts to extradite Hasina to hold her trial in person,” said Mr Yunus’ press secretary, Shafiqul Alam on Tuesday. 

Casting a shadow on the future of Ms Hasina’s  Awami League in Bangladesh, Alam said the people and political parties of Bangladesh will decide if the party should continue to exist in the country’s political landscape, but stressed that those allegedly involved in killings, enforced disappearances, and other crimes must face justice.

He also cited a report from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which accuses Ms Hasina’s administration of committing crimes against humanity and said, “After the report of the UN and some reports of rights groups were published, pressure has mounted (on India to return Ms Hasina to Bangladesh).”

India Yet To Respond

Bangladesh’s Foreign Office has submitted a diplomatic note requesting Ms Hasina’s repatriation. New Delhi has acknowledged its receipt, but it has yet to provide any further response. 

Washington DC:

In its bid to save US taxpayers’ money, the Donald Trump administration’s cost-cutting team–Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)– has cancelled a slew of overseas projects, including one in Bangladesh that raised several eyebrows. The billionaire Elon Musk-led department said it is cancelling $29 million funding intended for “strengthening the political landscape in Bangladesh”.

In a post on X listing a list of cancelled US funding abroad, DOGE said, “USD 29M to ‘strengthening the political landscape in Bangladesh” has been stopped.

US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent on the following items, all which have been cancelled:
– $10M for “Mozambique voluntary medical male circumcision”
– $9.7M for UC Berkeley to develop “a cohort of Cambodian youth with enterprise driven skills”
– $2.3M for “strengthening…

— Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) February 15, 2025

This comes days after American President Trump denied allegations of US involvement in the regime change in Bangladesh last year when former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted following a nationwide protest led by students.

About Strengthening Political Landscape Project in Bangladesh

Funded by the United States Agency For International Development (USAID) and the United Kingdon’s erstwhile Department for International Development, the strengthening Political Landscape in Bangladesh program (SPL) worked to build political party capacity and strengthen relationships between parties and constituents while reducing political violence, according to Democracy International (DI).

Per DI, the programme supported political activists and citizens as they built the skills they needed to become effective leaders, advocate for inclusive policies, and constructively engage with one another to mitigate conflict.

In addition, SPL confronted the challenges of political violence by engaging political parties, grassroots activists, and university students, monitoring incidents of violence, and promoting peaceful alternatives.

Trump On US Involvement In Bangadesh’s Regime Change

After a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, US President Donald Trump dismissed any American involvement in the Bangladesh political crisis, stating that the issue has been handled by India for a long time.

When a reporter sought the views of President Trump on whether the previous Democratic government under former President Joe Biden carried out a regime change in Bangladesh, and installed Muhammad Yunus as a chief adviser, the Republican said, “There is no role for our deep state. This is something that the Prime Minister has been working on for a long time and has worked on for hundreds of years… I have been reading about it.”

Then pointing at PM Modi he added, “I will leave Bangladesh to the PM.”

While the Republican did not directly address the question, speculation is that the response indicated the new Trump administration may not get itself involved in Bangladesh, where alleged radical Islamist elements have been targeting religious minorities including Hindus.

India-Bangladesh Relations

Ties between India and Bangladesh have nosedived after Ms Hasina fled Dhaka in August in the face of a massive anti-government protest.

The interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who returned from the US to work as Bangladesh’s caretaker, continues to draw sharp criticism over not doing enough to stop attacks on minorities by radical Islamists.

Bangladesh-US Ties

Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser, Professor Muhammad Yunus, on Friday said that he has discussed with Tesla CEO Elon Musk a potential collaboration to launch Starlink satellite internet service in Bangladesh.

Yunus on Thursday held an extensive video discussion with Musk to make further progress in introducing Starlink satellite to enhance internet service in Bangladesh.

Professor Yunus also extended an invitation to Musk to visit Bangladesh for the potential launch of Starlink services, underscoring the significance of this initiative for national development, to which Musk responded positively. 

“I look forward to it,” Musk said.

Other Biden-Era Funding Slashed By DOGE

In a post on X, the official DOGE handle listed the number of spending by US taxpayers that has been cancelled, including $22 million in funding intended for ‘voter turnout in India’ and $ 39 million for “fiscal federalism” and “biodiversity conservation” in Nepal.

This is part of DOGE’s continued effort to outline significant changes in government spending over the last few weeks.

About Nepal’s  “Fiscal Federalism” Programme

With the promulgation of the 2015 constitution, Nepal embarked on its federalism journey and established three tiers of government– one federal, seven provinces, and 753 local levels in 2017. 

The fiscal federalism programme is based on the canon that “single penny expense is not levied without the consent of parliament”

To adhere to this norm, Nepal’s Constitution has clear provisions with regard to the financial procedures of the federal, provincial and local governments, according to a report by International Alert.

About DOGE

The effort by what the Donald Trump administration calls DOGE is intended to cut government costs drastically. Musk’s department has swept through federal agencies in recent weeks searching for spending cuts as part of Trump’s goal to overhaul and shrink the US government.

Nobel peace prize winner Prof. Mohammad Yunus. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

KOLKATA: NEW DELHI: Bangladesh must not become a new home for Islamic extremists from across the world, said one of the key exiled members of the Sheikh Hasina government that was deposed last August in a student-people uprising in Dhaka. In an exclusive interview to The Hindu, Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel who was the education minister of the Awami League government and handled negotiation with the leaders of the July-August uprising, said the future of the interim government in Bangladesh in the coming months will depend on the attitude of the incoming Donald Trump administration in the U.S. and reminded that the security situation of Bangladesh should not be viewed in isolation from developments in other conflict zones especially in West Asia.

“Dr. Yunus invested in Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and described the victory of Donald Trump in his first term as an ‘eclipse’. Given this as his opinion about Donald Trump, I am sure there will be some repercussion for the interim government after President Trump is sworn to office on 20 January,” said Mr. Chowdhury who served as a deputy education minister during the third stint of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from 2018 to ’23. In January 2024, after PM Hasina was re-elected in a controversial election, he was made education minister and joined the cabinet.

“Bangladesh should not become a new home for Islamic extremists like Syria and Iraq that served as bases for these elements during the past decade,” said Mr. Chowdhury cautioning about the expanding base of the extremist groups like Hizbut Tahrir and Jamaat-e-Islami Bangaldesh over the past several months. He indicated at the growing influence of Hizbut Tahrir that on 11 January had called for establishment of an Islamic state in Bangladesh and said, such groups should not be seen in isolation. “They are capable of impacting not just the region but also the international system,” said Mr Chowdhury.  

The situation in Dhaka changed dramatically in the first week of July 2024 when Sheikh Hasina left for China and returned to find a full fledged students-led uprising against her government. Mr. Chowdhury was asked by PM Hasina to negotiate with the student-coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement which quickly escalated when the students called for “One point demand –resignation of Sheikh Hasina”. Mr. Chowdhury subsequently went underground and ultimately went into hiding.

The Hindu has learned that Sheikh Hasina was planning to hand over power to the Parliament Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury during the first week of August and that the military was ensuring a lockdown to stabilise the situation so that the handover of power could take place.

“We were present in Gonobhobon and were continuously planning how to resolve the protest and some of us felt that a sudden resignation by the Prime Minister would lead to the dissolution of the law and order machinery and that is why a lockdown was planned,” said Mr Chowdhury who accused the interim government led by Nobel peace prize winner Prof. Mohammad Yunus of failing to uphold law and order in the country.

“His absolute inability to bring any peace and stability and protect the minorities, the progressives and the secular population from purge, persecution and outright genocidal action from the extremists and ultra-Islamists and terrorists have exposed him completely,” said Mr Chowdhury adding, “Dr Yunus should not have any legitimacy in the eyes of the liberal West.”

He said that economic turmoil and industrial unrest has grown during the last five months in Bangladesh because of law and order situation which has not improved. The Yunus government has been saying that it aims to bring widespread changes in the country through reforms and a constitution reforms commission earlier this week suggested important changes to the 1972 constitution of Bangladesh. Mr Chowdhury in response said that the interim government has “no mandate” to carry out such fundamental changes.

“He has no mandate to decide on the ideological trajectory of Bangladesh. He has not taken part in our independence struggle. Therefore, he despises the ideological foundation of Bangladesh which is secularism, Bengali nationalism,” said Mr. Chowdhury.

Dhaka:

Bangladesh’s Supreme Court has acquitted former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in the last remaining corruption case against her, paving the way for the BNP Chairperson to contest elections. Along with Ms Zia, the top court also cleared charges against Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, and all other suspects in their appeal over the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

The verdict was delivered by a bench led by Chief Justice Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed after reviewing 79-year-old Zia’s appeal against the High Court’s ruling on Wednesday.

Ms Zia had faced a total of 17 years in prison– 10 years in this orphanage case and seven in the other corruption case in which she was acquitted in November after the ouster of her longtime rival and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The verdict is the latest judicial victory for Ms Zia and BNP, the other main party that has dominated Bangladesh’s politics with Ms Hasina’s Awami League. 

Case Gainst Khaleda Zia

Khaleda Zia, the head of the largest opposition party in Bangladesh, was sentenced on February 8, 2018, by Dhaka’s Special Judge Court-5 to five years of imprisonment for alleged embezzlement of $250,000 government funds when she became prime minister in 1991.

The same verdict handed down 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for five other accused, including Ms Zia’s son Tarique and former chief secretary Kamal Uddin Siddiqui. Each of the accused was also fined.

The former Prime Minister appealed the trial court’s verdict to the High Court, but the sentence was increased to 10 years by a High Court bench comprising Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman on October 30, 2018.

She subsequently filed a leave-to-appeal petition against this sentence. After years of delays due to legal procedural issues and a lack of initiative from lawyers, an Appellate Division of the Supreme Court accepted Ms Zia’s leave-to-appeal on November 11, 2024.

Delivering the verdict on Wednesday, the Supreme Court noted that the prosecution of the orphanage trust case was “malicious” and motivated by revenge, officially clearing Ms Zia of the charges in the case.

Zia was imprisoned at Dhaka Central Jail from 2018 to 2020, when her jail term was suspended by the Hasina government on health grounds, under the condition that the BNP leader would refrain from travelling abroad and participating in politics. After that, she was put under house arrest. Ms Hasina’s toppling in August prompted Ms Zia’s release from house arrest.

The verdict will enable Ms Zia to contest the next election, as Bangladeshi law prohibits anyone imprisoned for over two years from running for political office for the next five years.

Bangladesh’s Political Landscape

Bangladesh was plunged into a political and economic crisis in August 2024 after months of protests led by students toppled former premier Sheikh Hasina’s government, forcing her to flee to India and ending her 15-year rule.

The South Asian nation of around 70 million people is currently run by an interim leader Muhammad Yunus, who has indicated that the next general election could be held at the end of this year or the first half of 2026 but has been non-committal on a deadline for the democratic exercise.

Ms Zia’s party, however, has been pressing the interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus for a clear plan to hold a national election soon. The BNP has demanded that the election must be held by August this year.

Ms Zia, who served as the prime minister of Bangladesh from March 1991 to March 1996, and again from June 2001 to October 2006, is unwell and travelled to London earlier this month for medical treatment.

File picture of Muhammad Yunus, head of Bangladesh’s interim government.
| Photo Credit: AP

Amid growing outrage here about the large-scale attack on minority Hindus and their places of worship in Bangladesh, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Monday (December 23, 2024) spoke with the Bangladesh interim government’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and both leaders expressed commitment to protect human rights in the troubled South Asian nation.

“Both leaders expressed their commitment to respecting and protecting the human rights of all people, regardless of religion,” the White House said in a readout of the call between Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Yunus.

The call comes less than a month before the Biden administration passes on the power to Donald Trump, who would be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on January 20 next year.

This comes days after Indian American Democratic Congressman Shri Thanedar urged the White House to strongly raise the issue of killing of Hindus and destruction of their temples in Bangladesh with the head of the country’s interim government.

“The United States has a storied history of championing the oppressed and this issue should be no different. When we receive a global call for help, we must respond appropriately as the world’s bellwether of human rights. We must urge Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus to fulfill his promise of restoring peace and rebuilding the nation on principles of equality and justice,” Mr. Thanedar told reporters at the footsteps of the U.S. Capitol last week.

Mr. Sullivan, during the call, thanked Mr. Yunus for his leadership of Bangladesh during a challenging period, the White House said.

“Sullivan re-iterated the United States’ support for a prosperous, stable, and democratic Bangladesh, and offered the United States’ continued support in meeting the challenges Bangladesh faces,” said the readout of the call.

HinduAction said that disturbing reports of brutal attacks against the Hindus continue to surface, particularly over the past two weeks, as desperate pleas for help pour in from those affected on the ground.

HinduACTion executive director Utsav Chakrabarti said what has happened in the last five and half months in Bangladesh clearly reflects that “Muhammad Yunus has failed to contain” his allies in the Jamaat-e-Islami who are now running around the country, burning temples, killing people, raping women and indulging in atrocities against priests and leaders from the Hindu community by incarcerating them.

“It is incumbent upon our current administration as well as the upcoming administration to put sanctions on Bangladesh, as Congressman Thanedar has pointed out,” Mr. Chakrabarti said.

“It is important that we clearly chart out a path for safe autonomous zones for the Hindus, all 15 million of them, along with the Buddhists and Christians within the boundaries of Bangladesh,” he added.

In this handout photo released by Pakistan’s Press Information Department (PID), Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (L) shakes hands with Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the D-8 summit in Cairo on December 19, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Bangladesh has asked Pakistan to settle the issues of 1971 to help Dhaka move forward with its relationship with Islamabad “once and for all for the future generations,” state-run news agency has said.

Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also discussed the revival of the SAARC and called for a strategic relationship between Dhaka and Islamabad.

Also read | Bangladesh wishes to have normal relation with Pakistan: Foreign Affairs Adviser of Bangladesh

Mr. Yunus and Mr. Sharif met on the margins of the D-8 Summit at Cairo on Friday (December 20, 2024) when the two leaders agreed to strengthen relations through increased trade, commerce, and exchange of sports and cultural delegations, state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) said.

Mr. Yunus urged Mr. Sharif to settle the issues of 1971 to help Dhaka move forward with its relationship with Islamabad and said, “The issues have kept coming again and again. Let’s settle those issues for us to move forward.” Mr. Sharif said the 1974 tripartite agreement involving Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India settled things, “but if there are other outstanding issues,” he would be happy to look at them, according to the BSS.

Mr. Yunus said it would be nice to resolve things “once and for all for the future generations.” India, Bangladesh and Pakistan on April 9, 1974, signed the tripartite agreement in New Delhi after the 1971 Liberation War. It dealt with the repatriation of Pakistani prisoners of war in Indian camps since December 1971 and the resettlement of stranded populations in the two countries.

Mr. Yunus and Mr. Sharif also discussed the revival of the SAARC, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.

Mr. Sharif urged Mr. Yunus to work on the possibility of holding a summit of the regional body.

Calling for a strategic relationship between Dhaka and Islamabad, Mr. Sharif said: “We are really looking forward to strengthening our relationship with our brother-in-country Bangladesh.” Pakistan’s state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) quoted a press release from the prime minister’s office and said Sharif expressed gratitude for the facilitation of trade and travel between Pakistan and Bangladesh, including waiving off the condition of 100 per cent physical inspection of the consignments from Pakistan.

Mr. Sharif, who invited Mr. Yunus to Pakistan, also thanked him for ease of air travel for Pakistani passengers to Bangladesh, the APP said.

The first direct cargo vessel from Karachi docked at Chittagong port in Bangladesh in mid-November, which officials said marked a major step in bilateral trade while Bangladesh has already announced to soon resume direct flights to and from Pakistan.

Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government. 
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Bangladesh’s national elections could be held between late 2025 and early 2026, depending on the extent of reforms implemented. If minimal reforms are undertaken to ensure an accurate voter list, elections could be possible by late 2025. However, if comprehensive reforms are implemented based on the Electoral Reforms Commission recommendations and national consensus, it may require an additional six months,

The country’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus made the announcement during his address to the nation on December 16, 2024, marking the first Victory Day following the July-August uprising that ended the 16-year regime of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Dr. Yunus said, “I have repeatedly urged for the completion of major reforms before holding the elections. However, if political consensus requires us to conduct elections based on only a few key reforms and ensuring a flawless voter list, then elections could take place by late 2025. On the other hand, if we include additional reforms recommended by the Electoral Reforms Commission and supported by national consensus, it may require an additional six months. In summary, elections are likely to occur between late 2025 and the first half of 2026.”

Dr. Yunus also welcomed East Timor’s President, Nobel Peace Prize laureate José Ramos-Horta, who reached Dhaka to join the Victory Day celebrations. Dr. Yunus said Mr. Ramos-Horta led his country’s struggle for independence, inspired by Bangladesh’s Liberation War. East Timor achieved independence in 2002.

Dr. Yunus further mentioned a recent historic meeting with 19 ambassadors of the European Union (EU). For the first time, nearly all EU ambassadors came together to Dhaka to meet with the government, a significant gesture reflecting their strong support for Bangladesh.

“A few days ago, I held a meeting with 19 ambassadors from the European Union (EU). For the first time, nearly all EU ambassadors gathered together in Dhaka to meet with the government. This is a historic event, as most of these embassies are based in Delhi, and many of the ambassadors had never visited Dhaka before. They came together to send a clear message that the European Union stands ready to offer Bangladesh their fullest support and cooperation”, he added.

Dr. Yunus said his government briefed the EU diplomats on the interim government’s reform initiatives and commitment to holding democratic elections.

“I briefed the EU diplomats on the interim government’s reform initiatives and the democratic process for elections. They extended their full support and assured us of maximum cooperation. I also informed them about the misinformation campaigns against Bangladesh.”

Addressing issues faced by Bangladeshi students, he said, “I requested EU countries with visa offices in New Delhi to consider relocating them to Dhaka or neighbouring countries. Many Bangladeshi students encounter difficulties in obtaining visas to enroll in European universities. Establishing visa centres in Dhaka would significantly reduce their hardships.”

On Bangladesh’s economic progress, Dr. Yunus said, “The interim government has successfully restored confidence among donor agencies, including the World Bank, regarding the future of our economy. They are now engaging with renewed enthusiasm and interest to establish new financial partnerships with us. Both domestically and internationally, confidence in the economy is returning.”

Reflecting on the economic situation when the interim government took office, he said, “The economy was on the brink of collapse. Over the past four months, we have seen a significant turnaround. Confidence and discipline have returned to the banking sector. No banks had to be closed down; even the weakest ones have been sustained.”

File picture of Chief Adviser of Bangladesh Muhammad Yunus.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Chief Adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, on Wednesday congratulated U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on his election victory. Bangladesh and the U.S. “share a long history of friendship and collaboration across numerous areas of mutual interest,” Mr. Yunus said in a letter.

Donald Trump becomes 47th U.S. President: Follow LIVE updates

“Excellency, aligning with our commitment to a peaceful andinclusive society, the government and the peace-loving people of Bangladesh look forward to partner and collaborate in your efforts in addressing the global challenges in the pursuit of peace, harmony, stability and prosperity for all,” said Mr. Yunus in his letter.

Leader of Bangladesh Nationalist Party Tarique Rahman, who is living in exile in the U.K., has also congratulated Mr. Trump. Despite the formal communication, commentators in and out of Bangladesh have pointed out that Mr. Yunus, the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner, is a well-known friend of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton — both fierce critics of Donald Trump.

Mr. Yunus had described the victory of Mr. Trump in 2016 as an “eclipse”.

“Yunus’s liberal politics, which have helped earn him the support of many top U.S. Democrats, including Bill and Hillary Clinton puts him at odds with Trump. They are far from ideological bedfellows,” Michael Kugelman of Wilson Centre stated on November 3. Ahead of the poll, Mr. Trump had slammed attacks against minorities in Bangladesh.

File picture of Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of Bangladesh
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Bangladesh’s interim leader has refused to give a time frame for elections following the ouster of his predecessor, saying in an interview published Tuesday (October 8, 2024) that reforms are needed before polls.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus was appointed the country’s “chief advisor” after the student-led uprising that toppled ex-premier Sheikh Hasina in August.

The 84-year-old microfinance pioneer is helming a temporary administration, to tackle what he has called the “extremely tough” challenge of restoring democratic institutions.

“None of us are aiming at staying for a prolonged time,” Mr. Yunus said of his caretaker government, in an interview published by the Prothom Alo newspaper.

“Reforms are pivotal,” he added. “If you say, hold the election, we are ready to hold the election. But it would be wrong to hold the election first.”

Ms. Hasina’s 15-year rule saw widespread human rights abuses, including the mass detention and extrajudicial killings of her political opponents.

More than 600 people were killed in the weeks leading up to her ouster, according to a preliminary United Nations report which said the figure was likely an underestimate.

Her government was also accused of politicising courts and the civil service, as well as staging lopsided elections, to dismantle democratic checks on its power.

Mr. Yunus said he had inherited a “completely broken down” system of public administration that needed a comprehensive overhaul to prevent a future return to autocracy.

“Reforms mean we will not allow a repetition of what happened in the past”, he added.

‘Write as you please’

Mr. Yunus also batted away criticism at the numerous politicians, senior police officers and other Ms. Hasina loyalists arrested on murder charges after her government’s ouster.

The arrests have prompted accusations that Mr. Yunus’ caretaker government would hold politicised trials of senior figures from Ms. Hasina’s regime.

But Mr. Yunus said it was his intention that any criminal trials initiated against those arrested would remain free from government interference.

“Once the judicial system is reformed, then the issues will come forward, about who will be placed on trial, how justice will be carried out,” he said.

At least 25 journalists — considered by Ms. Hasina’s opponents to be partisans of her government — have been arrested for alleged violence against protesters since her downfall.

Press watchdog Reporters Without Borders has condemned those arrests as “systematic judicial harassment”.

But Mr. Yunus insisted he wanted media freedom.

“Write as you please,” he told the newspaper. “Criticise. Unless you write, how will we know what is happening or not happening?”

New Delhi:

Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus – who last week took oath as head of Bangladesh’s interim government – has heaped praise on students who spearheaded protests against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. “There is no doubt… because of the student-led revolution the whole government collapsed…” Mr Yunus told reporters after a Sunday night meet with the students.

“I said (to the students), ‘I respect you… I admire you. What you have done is absolutely unparalleled… and because you ordered me to do this (to take charge of the interim administration) I accept…’,” Mr Yunus said, recounting part of the conversation he had with the students.

Two of the student protesters – Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud – are part of a 16-member advisory council that was sworn in with Mr Yunus. The 84-year-old won the 2006 Nobel Peace prize for his work in microfinance and setting up the Grameen Bank, which works for community development.

READ | Md Yunus Takes Oath As Head Of Bangladesh Interim Government

Mr Yunus has also stressed the wave of resignations of high-ranking public officials, including the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and head of Bangladesh’s central bank, was “conducted legally”.

They had reportedly been issued ultimatums to quit.

READ | Why Bangladesh Chief Justice, Sheikh Hasina Loyalist, Was Forced To Quit

“They want to have a new court,” he said of the students. “So they went there and asked the chief justice to resign and put their pressure to make him resign.”

“I’m sure they will find the legal way to justify all of this, because legally… all the steps were followed,” he said. His office only agreed to publish these quotes Monday evening.

“The Monster Is Gone”

“Finally, this moment, the monster is gone,” Mr Yunus also said, referring to Ms Hasina’s departure and the end of what her critics said was an autocratic rule that stifled all dissent. 

However, Mr Yunus warned the interim government that public goodwill is a limited resource and that they would face many difficult decisions ahead. “The moment you start taking decisions, some people will like your decisions, some people will not like your decisions,” he said. “…that’s the way it works.”

Interim Bangladesh Government

The interim government was formed after Bangladesh witnessed weeks of violence and clashes – triggered by protests over a jobs quota – forced Ms Hasina, a five-time PM, to resign and flee.

READ | Explained: How Gen Z Women And Military Transformed Bangladesh

Sheikh Hasina left the Prime Minister’s residence in Dhaka – hours before it was overrun – and flew to India in a Bangladeshi military aircraft. The 76-year-old, seen as a key ally of New Delhi, remains in an undisclosed location amid reports she will seek political asylum, possibly in the United Kingdom.

Following Ms Hasina’s departure Md Yunus – who faced multiple corruption charges under the previous government and was in Europe while Sheikh Hasina was in power – was picked by the protesting to oversee democratic reforms.

His first act after being administered an oath of office – and taking the title of ‘chief advisor’ – was to lead a solemn tribute to the more than 450 people who died in the protests.

READ | Muhammad Yunus Honours Heroes, First Act As Bangladesh Interim Leader

It is unclear when Bangladesh will hold an election to select a new Prime Minister. Whenever that is, Mrs Hasina is likely to return to contest, her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy told The Times of India. “She will go back to Bangladesh the moment the interim government decides to hold an election,” he said.

India Extends “Best Wishes”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended his best wishes to Mr Yunus,

READ |PM Extends Best Wishes To Yunus, “Hopes For Safety Of Hindus”

“We hope for an early return to normalcy, ensuring the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities. India remains committed to working with Bangladesh to fulfil the shared aspirations of both our peoples for peace, security and development,” he wrote on X. 

READ | How Sheikh Hasina’s Ouster Affects India-Bangladesh Ties

With the change of guard in neighbouring Bangladesh, the Indian government now faces a diplomatic dilemma, even as China was also swift to welcome Dhaka’s new authorities, saying it “attaches importance to the development” of relations.

With input from agencies

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