Bangladesh on the Path to Extinction Under Yunus’s Leadership

Opinion

The nine-month illegitimate rule of Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the half-Nobel Peace Prize winner who forcibly ousted an elected government, will conclude on May 8. After seizing power on August 8 last year, Yunus loudly claimed that he knew nothing about the fake quota reform movement until student protesters involved in the August 5 agitation requested his intervention. But the truth cannot remain hidden forever.

Hannan Masud, the so-called leader of this student movement, recently revealed openly to the media that the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka had facilitated their communication with Yunus in France even before August 5. Later, several European Union countries, particularly France and Britain—collectively called the “Tuesday Club”—joined this illegal and unconstitutional scheme. Reports indicate that the EU ambassador played a crucial role and remains actively engaged in propping up Yunus.

The Biden administration allocated nearly $50 million to topple the elected government of Sheikh Hasina. Most beneficiaries of this massive fund were NGO operators—around 170 in number—along with a few university authorities. These universities received millions from U.S. deep-state funds under various pretexts, but a significant portion was spent on the conspiracy to remove Hasina. Some rogue students from these institutions destroyed BTV, vandalized public property, and even killed on-duty police officers.

Today, these NGO leaders hold key positions in Yunus’s government—some as advisors, others as heads of his institutions. From vice-chancellors to school principals, many have feasted on this illicit money. The administration is now largely controlled by Jamaat-e-Islami, the defeated forces of 1971, who are tasting power for the first time and oppose elections. Retired bureaucrats with Jamaati leanings have been reinstated in high-ranking posts, burdening government offices. Meanwhile, so-called “anti-discrimination” student observers have been attached to ministries to oversee operations.

Local administration offices are no exception—they have dedicated rooms, vehicles, and staff for these observers, who act as overlords. Three such students were even given special railway passes to “monitor” passenger services. No one seems to care about their education. A generation of ignorance is rising, and Bangladesh’s future lies in ruins. These fake student leaders are busy smuggling billions abroad. Some became so reckless that the government had to remove them.

In these nine months, Yunus and his incompetent cohorts have broken the backbone of Bangladesh, earned with the blood of three million martyrs. He has ensured his descendants (though he hardly has any) will live in luxury. He illegally seized Grameen Bank, where he once worked for a mere Tk 6,000 salary, and expanded his empire under its name. Recently, he signed a 10-year deal with Starlink, linking it to Grameenphone—which will now serve Myanmar’s Arakan Army (AA), an insurgent group that has already occupied parts of Cox’s Bazar, Teknaf, and Bandarban. AA even celebrated the new year deep inside Bandarban, unfazed by our border forces.

Meanwhile, Yunus’s imported National Security Advisor, Dr. Khalilur Rahman, has held talks with ARSA, another Rohingya militant group, discussing how Bangladesh can “strategically assist” them. This man even oversees our military. The army chief and top generals remain passive, as if acting in a play.

Yunus has also approved a private “Grameen University” and entered the human trafficking business under the guise of overseas labor exports. He has launched mobile banking for domestic and international e-money transfers. Before seizing power, courts fined him Tk 666 crore for fraud and sentenced him to six months in jail. Now, he has not only waived these penalties but also exempted Grameen Bank from taxes until 2029. His greed knows no bounds.

Bangladesh’s sovereignty is in grave danger. The cozy ties between Yunus, AA, and ARSA prove it. Worse, Yunus’s regime has agreed to a Rohingya corridor through Bangladesh—though how remains unclear. His foreign advisor has already admitted that Bangladesh has lost control over parts of the Cox’s Bazar border.

Law and order have collapsed. Mob attacks, reminiscent of Somalia or Mali, target Awami League activists and religious minorities. Mosques, temples, churches—nothing is spared. Courts exist, but judges cannot rule without Yunus’s student enforcers. False murder cases are rampant, with 267 journalists jailed without trial. Media houses are seized, and hundreds of professionals fired. Even Yunus’s deceased parents might face lawsuits soon.

The economy is in shambles. Once a top global rice producer, Bangladesh now imports 100,000 tons from India, Vietnam, and Pakistan. Industries are being destroyed—garment factories, Beximco plants, power refineries—all because their owners supported the Awami League. Thousands are jobless.

Yunus brought Ashik Chowdhury, a “parajumping wizard,” from the U.S. to attract investors. After a lavish five-star hotel summit, these “investors” (including ice-cream sellers and travel agents) said they’d only invest under an elected government. Meanwhile, mobs vandalized Coca-Cola, Pizza Hut, and Chinese factories, calling them “Israeli.”

Remittance alone cannot save the economy. The Philippines earns $39 billion yearly from remittance but lacks industries and suffers 4% unemployment. Bangladesh has zero investment—only capital flight.

On May 5, leading daily *Prothom Alo* ran a half-page ad warning of gas shortages crippling textiles and garments, slashing exports, and pushing banks into crisis. Fear kept it from being a news report—journalists face dismissal, and newspapers risk slaughtering cows at their gates.

The Bangladesh Bank governor and economic advisors begged the IMF in Washington for the fourth and fifth loan tranches. The IMF refused, saying, “You lack repayment capacity.” The economic advisor arrogantly declared, “We can manage without IMF loans.” Once sensible, he has lost his wits under Yunus. The World Bank red-listed Bangladesh, noting three million new extreme poor under Yunus.

Famine looms, but Yunus is busy handing over Cox’s Bazar to the Americans. Bangladesh, under this outsider, is nearing extinction. Future generations will mourn: “There was once a country called Bangladesh—destroyed by a man named Yunus.”

-Syed Iftikhar Hossain
Political Analyst
May 8, 2025