Sheikh Hasina Accuses Yunus of Normalizing Violence and Weakening Bangladesh Ties
Sheikh Hasina criticizes Yunus interim government for failing to control violence and radicalism in Bangladesh.
Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has strongly condemned the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, saying that “violence has become the norm” in the country. In an email interview with ANI, she criticised the administration for failing to maintain law and order, citing the killing of political activist Sharif Osman Hadi on December 12, which triggered widespread unrest in Dhaka. Hadi, a key figure in the movement that led to Hasina’s ouster, died on December 18 after being airlifted to Singapore for treatment.
Hasina highlighted that offices of leading newspapers, cultural organisations, and minority communities have been targeted in the aftermath of Hadi’s killing. She warned that such violence undermines Bangladesh’s internal stability and damages its relationships with neighbouring countries, particularly India, which she said watches the escalating chaos with concern.
The former leader also accused Yunus’s government of empowering extremists, releasing convicted terrorists, and allowing radical groups linked to international terrorism to assume public roles. “Yunus has placed extremists in cabinet positions and allowed radicalisation to take root within institutions,” Hasina said, stressing that these actions threaten Bangladesh’s secular character and long-term political stability.
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She further criticised the interim government for issuing hostile statements against India and failing to protect religious minorities, citing the brutal murder of 27-year-old Hindu man Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh. Hasina said these actions create unnecessary tensions and warned that strategic decisions by an unelected administration could have lasting consequences for Bangladesh’s foreign policy.
On the International Crimes Tribunal that convicted her, Hasina described her death sentence as a “political assassination in judicial robes” and claimed she was denied the right to defend herself. She asserted her faith in Bangladesh’s constitutional framework and promised to return once legitimate governance and an independent judiciary are restored.
Addressing the upcoming elections in February, Hasina called them a “coronation” in the absence of the Awami League, stressing that millions of voters would be disenfranchised. She thanked India for its continued support and hospitality and challenged Yunus to take any legal action regarding her to The Hague, confident of acquittal by an independent court.
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