Hasina’s regime wasn’t a govt, it was a family of bandits: Yunus to The Guardian

Ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina's regime was not a government, rather, it was a family of bandits, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus has said.

In an interview with The Guardian, published today (10 March), he said, "Hasina's regime wasn't a government, it was a family of bandits. Any order from the boss and it was done.

"Someone's causing problems? We'll make them disappear. Want to hold an election? We will make sure you win all the seats. You want money? Here's a million dollar loan from the bank you never have to pay back."

Describing the state of Bangladesh on his return in August last year, Yunus continued, "The damage she [Hasina] had done was monumental. It was a completely devastated country, like another Gaza, except it wasn't buildings that had been destroyed but whole institutions, policies, people, international relationships."

"Banks were given full licence to loot people's money, with active participation from the government," Yunus said. "They would send their officials with guns to get it all signed off."

Yunus became the head of the interim government on 8 August, three days after the Awami League government was toppled in a mass uprising and Hasina fled to India.

The chief adviser told The Guardian that India hosting Hasina would be tolerated, but "allowing her to use India as a platform for her campaign to try to undo everything we have done is dangerous. It destabilises the country."

There were significant allegations of tyranny, violence and corruption during Hasina's reign. More than 1,400 people were killed during the July uprising in a violent crackdown by police that could amount to a "crime against humanity", according to the UN.

However, there have been suggestions that the streets are less safe now than under Hasina's rule but Yunus denied such claims. However, others have warned that the country's security situation might spiral beyond the government's control.

In a strongly worded speech last week, Bangladesh's army chief, Gen Waker-UzZaman said the country was in a "state of anarchy", and if the divisions fuelling unrest continued, "the independence and sovereignty of this country will be at stake".

Yunus maintained he had a "very good relationship" with the military, and that there was "no pressure" from the army chief. However, some took the general's words as a strong rebuke of Yunus's leadership and even a warning that military intervention might be on the horizon.

The Guardian reports, Yunus is determined to frame the country's woes as consequences of Hasina's rule: "Hasina's regime wasn't a government, it was a family of bandits. Any order from the boss and it was done. Someone's causing problems? We'll make them disappear. Want to hold an election? We will make sure you win all the seats. You want money? Here's a million dollar loan from the bank you never have to pay back."

Relations with India, US

Sheikh Hasina garnered close relations with India and is now hiding in the neighbouring country while the bilateral ties deteriorate.

India has shown little interest in mending them while Yunus is in charge, with Delhi recently accusing Dhaka of "normalising terrorism", reports The Guardian.

Though a formal extradition request was made to India in December to send Hasina back to face trial in Bangladesh, Yunus told The Guardian there had been "no response" from the Indian government.

He said Hasina would still face trial for crimes against humanity, even if in absentia.

India's government is not Yunus's only problem, Donald Trump becoming the president of the United States for a second time is also bad news for Bangladesh.

The Biden administration was one of Yunus's biggest backers, both politically and financially. But the restoration of democracy in Bangladesh is unlikely to be a priority for Trump.

Bangladesh has taken a blow from Trump's decimation of the US Agency for International Development (USAid), which had pledged the country more than $1bn in assistance in recent years.

In a speech, Trump alleged millions of USAid dollars earmarked for strengthening Bangladesh political landscape had been used to elect a "radical left communist" without offering any evidence.

In an attempt to bring the US on side, Yunus recently invited Trump's billionaire backer Elon Musk to bring his Starlink satellite internet network to Bangladesh. Sources around Yunus said a visit by Musk to the country was expected in April.