No Indian Hegemony but Yunus Duress

 

Anti-India tirade is quite visible ever since Noble Prize winner Mohmad Yunus a political novice-came to power as Chief Advisor in Bangladesh after the resignation of Prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Bangladesh situation instead of improving, deteriorated further in last nine months of interim governments rule under Mohmad Yunus. It saw atrocities on minorities especially Hindus, emergence of love for Pakistan in the form of removing visa restrictions, opening its ports for them etc. Bangladesh got cosy with China, and eruption of anti-India sentiments reached to their peak. Bangladesh India relations have reached to their lowest point in decades. At the domestic front there was no escalation in jobs, the social fabric deteriorated, business environment got a jolt and revenge for Sheikh Hasina and her party reached its climax In the initial stage the hysteria against India was utilized to mobilise, students, anti-Hasina factions including those against the partition of Pakistan in 1971, Jamarat-e-Islamic, fanatic forces, Bangladesh Nationalist party and others. It successfully helped Mohmad Yunus to get power but hard-core fanatic elements muted him to the genocide of Hindus, desecration of their temples, raps and burning of their houses etc. All signs of Sheikh Hasina and her father were demolished. Leaders of Awaji league either left Bangladesh or remained underground to save their lives. This 'tandava' on the streets of Dhaka continues till date and exposed the true face of Mohmad Yunus to public. No one can hide reality for too long from public gaze because ultimately people want solution to their problems. Yunus wanted to remove the army chief to make things comfortable for himself but could not. The difference between the two af present is quite clear to everyone The Bangladesh national party of Begum Khalida Zoo in order to take advantage of the turmoil, to attain power, wanted early elections. It got Army support for this. When things started to get the attention of masses Yunus played the drama of resignation from the post of Chief Advisor. In NagarikOiko president said, the chief advisor his meeting on May 2025 with Mohmad Yunus, had said that, "due to Indian hegemony the believes that the entire nation needs to be country is facing a major crisis, therefore he united." The government of India wasted no time in terming it as an exercise in deflection from his country's challenges. Dhaka failed to realise that the historic trend of portraying India in a manner that suits their political interests, may produce short-term benefits, but is ultimately unviable This discord has given birth to a plethora of questions like, Does Mohmad Yunus bring in Indian hegemony to galvanize anti India elements in Bangladesh to his support? Is it to appease Jamaat e Islami and anti-freedom struggle persons of 71 war? Is it to carry forward its avenge against Shiekh Hasina? Is it to cover Yunus failure on his own promises to Bangladesh People at the time of getting power nine months ago? Is it to justify his delay in conducting elections? Is it to divert the attention of army towards India? Is it an attempt to appease Pakistan and China? Is it a way to sideline army and BNP? There is no doubt that army and Yunus are not on the same page. The army chief Waker uz-zaman held that "Bangladesh needs political stability. This is possible only through an elected government not by unelected decision makers, The army is meant for defending nation, not for policing, we need to return to Barracks after condor into Myanmar's Rakhine state, the foreign management of Cartogram port (Bangladesh's main sea port) and launch of star Link of Elon Musk, which he felt will compromise national security, In a paradoxical twist, the army advocated elections by the end of 2025, a demand strongly endorsed by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)of Begum Khaleda Zia's Mohmad Yunus on June 6, 2025 declared that elections will be conducted in first half of April 2026, drawing strong protest from BNP the main political party by saying that the roadmap has failed to meet the expectations of people. Mohmad Yunus while taking over as the Cuef Adviser' of the interim government on August 8, 2024 had promised to lead Bangladesh into a new dawn of democracy from the semi- authoritarian years of the Agami League. But nine months on, he is still struggling to stabilise the country and rein in the mobs and has nothing concrete to show as an achievement to the people of Bangladesh. His intention to continue as the CA of Bangladesh too is not hidden from anyone. In order to divert attention from its failures the interim government sees 'India's hegemonistic approach' as an easy tool to woo people to its side. The matter of the fact is that India under Neighbourhood first' policy is committed to develop friendly and mutually beneficial relations with all its neighbours including Bangladesh. India in 2011 approved $750 million loan for developing Bangladesh infrastructure and offered another 51 billion soft loan in 2014 for its infrastructure development. Since 2021 India every year allocates aid to Bangladesh in its budget, in 2021 India allocated INR 200 crore for the fiscal year 2021-22, in 2022 India announced approximately INR 300 crore in aid to Bangladesh, in 2023 India allocated INR 200 crore in aid and in 2024 India allocated INR 120 crore for Bangladesh. India has provided Bangladesh about $7.862 billion through four different lines of credit (LOC) programs making LDC initiatives. In FY 2004 total trade between in India anually, are Bangladeshis. They are Bangladesh the largest recipient under India's the two countries came down to 512.91 billion from 514.01 billion in 2023. Besides other thing it may be pointed out that half of all medical tourists 325.000 out of a total of 635,000 aniving given three attendant Visa's the highest from India to any country. ire in Mohmad Yunus against India are 11 deporting of Illegal Bangladeshis from India India is not an asylum that anyone can thong in. It is entitled to deport/punish those who have come illegally inside the country Bangladesh The two main issues that currently develop migration. (2) India's lack of response to shall help India to stop transburder illegal Bangladesh's request to extradite Shekh Ha Dhaka wants Hasina be extradited to face charges of crimes against humanity, m laundering and corruption. Hatina demies the accusations, and Delhi has not officially reacted to the demand. It is worthwhile to point here that the relations between Shiekh Hasina and Mohmad Yunus were never cordial. She accused Yunus of sucking the blood of poor, removed him from head of Graeme bank in 2011 for having crossed the retirement age, in Jan, 2024 Mohmad Yunus was sentenced to six months in prison for violation of labour law, faced 100 other cases on graft and other charges. Yunus on the other hand in an interview to Times Now termed the exit of Hasina as second liberation day for Bangladesh after 1971 war of independence. Yunus is eager to penalize Hasina at the earliest. so he has made her deportation a point India wants good relations with its neighbours but can't be a mute spectator to their nefarious designs. Bangladesh being India's strategic neighbour is of paramount importance for our ‘act east' policies. The unresolved issues of water sharing can be resolved in an environment of trust only. Throwing the baby with bath tub is no solution.

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Courtesy: MK Bhat and  Koshur Samachar- 2025, July