Amid the unrest in Bangladesh following a recent surge in violence, former prime minister Sheikh Hasina has sharply criticized the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.
Hasina accused it of enabling extremist forces, fueling anti-India sentiment and undermining democratic institutions — moves she warned threatened both internal stability and regional security.
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In an email interview with ANI, which addressed concerns over growing hostility towards India and the safety of Indian diplomats, Hasina claimed that the recent tension was deliberately created. “This hostility is being created by extremists who have been encouraged by the Yunus regime,” she said.
Referring to the incidents targeting Indian and domestic institutions, she added: “These are the same actors who marched on the Indian embassy and attacked our media offices, who attack minorities with impunity and who forced me and my family to flee for our lives. She further claimed that Yunus “put such figures in positions of power and released convicted terrorists from jail”.
Hasina said New Delhi’s concerns about the safety of its diplomatic personnel were justified. “A responsible government would protect diplomatic missions and prosecute those who threaten them. Instead, Yunus grants immunity to hooligans and calls them warriors,” she said.
“Faith not lost in Bangladeshi institutions”
Hasina said she continued to believe in the constitutional foundations of Bangladesh. “However, my faith has not been lost in Bangladeshi institutions. Our constitutional tradition is strong and when legitimate governance is restored and our judiciary regains its independence, justice will prevail,” she said.
Questioning the credibility of the February elections, from which the Awami League was excluded, Hasina said, “Elections without the Awami League are not elections but coronations.
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She claimed that “Yunus is ruling without a single vote of the Bangladeshi people and now he is trying to ban a party that has been elected nine times by popular mandate.
‘Politically motivated’: Hasina on ICT verdict
Responding to renewed calls for her extradition after the ICT verdict, Hasina said the demands were politically motivated. “These growing demands that you mention are only coming from the increasingly desperate and floundering Yunus administration,” she said, again calling the proceedings a “politically motivated kangaroo tribunal.”
Acknowledging India’s continued support, she said she was “heartfelt and grateful for the solidarity that India continues to show by extending its hospitality to me”, noting that this approach was supported by “all Indian political parties”.
Hasina explained her departure from Bangladesh: “I left Bangladesh to prevent further bloodshed, not out of fear of facing justice.” She rejected current calls for her return, adding: “You cannot demand my return to face my political murder.”
She reiterated her legal challenge to the interim leadership, saying: “I am confident that an independent court would exonerate me.”
“When Bangladesh has a legitimate government and an independent judiciary, I will be happy to return to the country I have served all my life,” she said.
For the strain in India-Bangladesh ties, including Dhaka’s move to summon the Indian envoy, Hasina transferred responsibility to the caretaker administration. “The tension you are witnessing is entirely the work of Yunus,” she said.
She accused it of taking a hostile stance towards India, failing to protect minorities and allowing extremist influence in policy-making.
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Highlighting bilateral ties, Hasina said, “India has been Bangladesh’s most stable friend and partner for decades,” adding that the relationship was “deep and fundamental” and had “survived any interim government.”
Referring to the killing of Sharif Usman Hadi Hasina, he said the incident illustrated the prevailing breakdown of law and order. “This tragic killing reflects the lawlessness that has uprooted my government and that has multiplied under Yunus,” she said.
“Violence has become the norm while the interim government either denies it or is powerless to stop it,” she added.
She said the ongoing instability was undermining Bangladesh’s standing abroad. “When you cannot maintain basic order within your borders, your credibility on the international stage will collapse,” Hasina said.
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On the growing role of Islamist forces, Hasina said: “I share this concern, as do millions of Bangladeshis who prefer a secure, secular state like we once had.”
She claimed that Yunus “installed extremists in government positions, released convicted terrorists from prison, and allowed groups linked to international terrorist organizations to assume roles in public life.”
“This should worry not only India but every nation that has invested in the stability of South Asia,” she said, adding: “The secular nature of Bangladesh’s politics has been one of our greatest strengths.”
Responding to remarks by some Bangladeshi leaders referring to the Siliguri Corridor or “Chicken’s Neck”, Hasina called such statements “dangerous and irresponsible”.
“No serious leader would threaten a neighbor Bangladesh depends on for trade, transit and regional stability,” she said.
Stressing that such views do not reflect public opinion, she said, “These voices do not represent the people of Bangladesh” and expressed her belief that “once democracy is restored and responsible governance is restored, such reckless talk will end.”
In a sign of a closer Pakistan-Bangladesh encounter, Hasina said Bangladesh has traditionally adhered to “friendship to all, malice to none” but criticized the actions of the interim leadership.
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“Yunus has no mandate to reorient Bangladesh’s foreign policy,” she said, adding that “he has no right to make strategic decisions that could affect generations.”
Reiterating her broader stance, Hasina said, “Once Bangladeshis are allowed to vote freely again, our foreign policy will return to serving our national interests,” and asserted that India-Bangladesh relations were “crucial and will last long after this caretaker government is gone.”
