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EYE ON INDIA JUNE 06, 2025 | The Indian Eye 6

MUHAMMAD YUNUS

Under Fire: Fragile Leadership, Anti-India

Rhetoric, and Bangladesh’s Democratic Crisis

As Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus battles growing internal dissent and political uncertainty, his

increasingly anti-India stance reflects deeper insecurities — and signals a dangerous erosion of democratic norms.

OUR BUREAU — have demanded that polls be held
by the end of 2025. The longer the
New Delhi/Dhaka
delay, the more unstable the political
uhammad Yunus, once climate becomes.
hailed globally as a Nobel Critics argue that Yunus’s inter-
MLaureate and pioneer of im regime has no constitutional man-
microfinance, now finds himself at date to continue beyond facilitating
the center of a volatile political exper- elections. By clinging to power amid
iment in Bangladesh. Appointed as growing calls for a transition, Yunus is
Chief Adviser of the country’s interim inadvertently (or perhaps deliberate-
government after the ouster of Sheikh ly) setting the stage for authoritarian
Hasina in a student-led uprising last drift. The tension between the mil-
year, Yunus’s authority is crumbling itary’s expectations, public protests,
under pressure from the military, po- and the interim government’s inertia
litical factions, and international scru- has created a democratic vacuum —
tiny. As his domestic credibility weak- one that is increasingly being filled
ens, Yunus appears to be leaning into with paranoia, censorship, and scape-
anti-India rhetoric — a move many goating.
analysts view as a strategic deflection Yunus’s rising hostility toward
from his failing grip on governance India, his failure to present a credible
and the growing threats to democracy electoral roadmap, and the widening
in Bangladesh. PM Narendra Modi and Muhammad Yunus at the meeting of BIMSTEC grouping, gap between the interim government
Yunus’s position has never been in Bangkok in April (ANI) and the military all point to one con-
as secure as it may have appeared. clusion: Bangladesh is teetering on the
Appointed with the tacit backing of edge of a democratic crisis. The same
the Bangladesh Army following Ha- frustration over the absence of a clear Such rhetoric from Yunus is not Nobel Laureate once celebrated for
sina’s ousting, his government lacks electoral roadmap. just baseless — it’s dangerous. It sig- empowering the poor through micro-
constitutional authority to implement Amid mounting challenges, nals a calculated attempt to rally na- loans now finds himself accused of un-
reforms or restructure the political Yunus has turned his attention out- tionalist sentiments at home by paint- dermining democratic empowerment
order. According to former Indian ward, casting India as a convenient ing external forces, especially India, as on a national scale.
High Commissioner to Bangladesh, scapegoat. In recent weeks, he ac- antagonists. This narrative may find His current posture — doubling
Veena Sikri, the recent speculation cused the Indian media — particular- temporary traction among certain down on conspiracy theories, sidelin-
about Yunus’s resignation was a care- ly “segments of the right-wing” — of domestic constituencies, but it risks ing electoral reforms, and weapon-
fully orchestrated drama, intended to engaging in a “coordinated disinfor- damaging decades of cooperative di- izing nationalism — reflects a lead-
divert attention from a more critical mation campaign” to delegitimise plomacy between the two countries. ership style increasingly shaped by
development — the Bangladesh Ar- Bangladesh’s transitional leadership. Beyond political drama and fin- fear, not vision. Bangladesh’s political
my’s demand for national elections by He posted articles on X (formerly ger-pointing lies a graver concern: the stability now hinges on whether the
December 2025. Twitter), claiming India was meddling slow dismantling of democratic insti- country can reclaim its democratic
“This interim government has no in Bangladesh’s internal affairs and tutions in Bangladesh. The interim rhythm through early elections and
power to enact reforms or amend the attempting to destabilize the country. government, by its own admission, is re-establish institutional legitimacy.
constitution,” Sikri stated, making it But India’s Ministry of External responsible for three key tasks — con- Until then, Yunus’s tenure looks less
clear that Yunus’s authority is large- Affairs (MEA) swiftly refuted these ducting elections, pursuing limited like a transitional stewardship — and
ly symbolic. The real power lies with allegations. MEA spokesperson reforms, and ensuring transitional jus- more like an unfolding political im-
the military establishment, particu- Randhir Jaiswal called Yunus’s state- tice. Yet, more than nine months since passe.
larly Army Chief General Waker-Uz- ments “an attempt to deflect from it took power, the government has India, for its part, has reiterated
Zaman, whose insistence on timely governance failures,” reaffirming that failed to deliver on any of these fronts. its desire for a “positive and construc-
elections has further undermined responsibility for Bangladesh’s law The lack of a credible elector- tive relationship” with Bangladesh,
Yunus’s already precarious position. and order rests squarely with its gov- al timeline is particularly troubling. one “anchored in meeting the aspira-
Despite his public reassurances ernment. Jaiswal urged Bangladesh While Yunus has proposed holding tions and interests of both peoples.”
of stability, Yunus is increasingly seen to hold “an inclusive, free, and fair elections between December 2025 But unless the interim government
as isolated, caught between pressure election at an early date,” underscor- and June 2026, the military and ma- in Dhaka course-corrects soon, even
from the Army, resistance from op- ing India’s preference for democratic jor opposition parties — including the that aspiration may prove difficult to
position parties, and growing public stability in its eastern neighbor. Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) realize.

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