Hasina Aide Claims Muhammad Yunus Regime Is Steering Bangladesh Toward Civil War

The International Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka sentenced ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan to death on November 18, 2025, for their roles in the violent crackdown on a student-led uprising last year that resulted in hundreds of deaths and ultimately toppled Hasina's 15-year rule. The verdict, delivered in absentia since both officials fled to India, has ignited fierce backlash from Hasina's Awami League party, which described the proceedings as a "staged drama" in a "kangaroo court". Awami League leader and former minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury accused the tribunal of bias, claiming the judgement was "pre-written" and that Hasina was denied basic rights, including the ability to appoint her own lawyers. The party has called for a nationwide shutdown in protest, escalating political tensions in the South Asian nation.

Chowdhury, speaking to NDTV, alleged that the interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus lacks legal authority to amend tribunal laws and followed no fair procedures during the trial. He asserted that senior lawyers in Dhaka were barred from representing Hasina, labelling Awami League members as fugitives to silence their defence. Despite the regime's ban on the party from the upcoming February elections, Chowdhury maintained that Awami League retains majority public support, drawing parallels to its resilience after past suppressions since 1975. He challenged Yunus to allow the party's participation, arguing that only a duly elected parliament should ratify such laws and oversee trials, and vowed to rally people against what he called a "sham electoral process".

In a provocative escalation, Chowdhury warned that the Yunus administration's actions are deliberately steering Bangladesh toward civil war, echoing statements from Hasina's son, Sajeeb Wajed Joy. He levelled serious accusations against the interim government, claiming ties to Pakistan-based terror outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, as well as invitations extended to Pakistani Islamic scholars, ISI officials, and military personnel. "Why such cosying up with Pakistan?" Chowdhury questioned, suggesting these moves aim to foster regional instability and violence to bolster the regime's grip on power amid lacking public backing. He pledged that the Awami League would resist these efforts, citing historical failures of similar destabilisation attempts.

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Hasina, in a statement released Monday, decried the verdict as "biased and politically motivated," insisting she and Khan acted in good faith to minimise casualties during the unrest, which spiralled beyond control. India has refused extradition requests, rendering the sentences largely symbolic for now. The controversy unfolds against Bangladesh's fragile post-uprising transition, where Yunus's interim setup—installed after Hasina's August 2024 ouster—faces scrutiny over governance and security. As protests loom, analysts warn of deepening divisions that could hinder the nation's path to stable elections, underscoring the high stakes in reconciling justice with democratic restoration.

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