Yunus Backs Radicals legalizes Jamaat :Dark Days for Democracy in Bangladesh, Slides Into Islamist Chaos

Poonam Sharma

New Delhi, Ist  June-Dhaka and Delhi are witnessing an alarming transformation in Bangladesh’s political trajectory. In a series of deeply troubling developments, Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus has aligned himself with radical Islamist factions while escalating his antagonism toward Indian strategic interests.

Three major developments this week have shaken the subcontinent—and raise fundamental questions about Bangladesh’s democratic survival and South Asia’s geopolitical stability.

1. Jamaat-e-Islami: From Banned Terror Group to Legal Political Party

In a stunning reversal, the Bangladeshi courts have re-legalized Jamaat-e-Islami—a party once banned for war crimes, anti-Hindu violence, and its collusion with Pakistan during the 1971 Liberation War. The group, infamous for its role in atrocities including rape, murder, and ethnic cleansing, is now free to contest elections.

This move is being celebrated by Yunus and his legal allies as a “step toward inclusive democracy.” In reality, it signals a dangerous whitewashing of extremist politics under the guise of democratic pluralism.

Back in 2013, the ban on Jamaat followed massive public outrage and international concern over the group’s radical agenda. Today, that ban has been overturned through legal maneuvering orchestrated by Yunus-aligned activists.

Is this truly inclusion—or an invitation to fundamentalism?

2. Sheikh Hasina Sentenced to Death – A Judicial Farce?

In an audacious legal escalation, a court in Dhaka has admitted a case seeking the death sentence for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. While the verdict is unlikely to be enforced, the symbolism is chilling.

This is not mere legal theater—it is political vengeance masquerading as judicial process. Under Yunus’s quiet influence, pro-Hasina judges have been ousted and the judiciary restructured to serve partisan interests. The courts that once prosecuted war criminals are now being used to threaten a sitting prime minister.

The goal? Erase Hasina’s legacy and silence her loyalists. A democratic purge is underway.

3. Yunus Courts China, Offers Strategic Ports Near Chicken’s Neck

As domestic tensions rise, Yunus has turned to China, seeking massive infrastructure investments and proposing the transfer of strategic port operations near India’s vulnerable Siliguri Corridor—the “Chicken’s Neck” that connects mainland India to its northeast.

For India, this signals more than economic realignment—it poses a direct security threat. A Chinese foothold this close to Indian territory undermines decades of geopolitical balance.

Yunus’s overtures to Beijing, after sidelining India, reflect a deliberate shift in allegiance. For a man once praised as a global humanitarian, this pivot toward authoritarian China over democratic India is both puzzling and dangerous.

India Reacts: Deportations and Water Diplomacy

India has begun to push back. In a significant development, over 1,000 illegal Bangladeshi migrants have been deported in recent days. Officials say India will no longer serve as an open shelter for those displaced by Bangladesh’s internal failures.

Simultaneously, India opened the Teesta River floodgates—flooding 76 locations in northern Bangladesh. Though officially attributed to seasonal water management, the timing has not gone unnoticed. It’s a veiled message that New Delhi is watching, and capable of responding.

Jamaat-e-Islami: A Regional Threat

This is not a domestic concern limited to Bangladesh. Jamaat-e-Islami has extensive ties to Pakistan’s ISI, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and various jihadi networks. Its infrastructure of radicalization spans madrasas, youth camps, and political front groups.

Their history of anti-Hindu violence—from temple attacks to communal killings—is not isolated religious extremism but part of a systematic Islamist project. Their long-term goal: reshape Bangladesh into an Islamic state integrated into the broader global Ummah.

For India, this poses an existential border threat—not just militarily but ideologically.

Warning Signs and Dangerous Precedents

Dr. Yunus, once hailed as a hero of microfinance and development, now finds himself at the heart of a deeply troubling political turn. By legitimizing fundamentalist actors, undermining democratic institutions, and playing host to Chinese influence, he has jeopardized the future of both Bangladesh and regional peace.

India now faces a stark question: how to respond? Should diplomacy be reworked? Should border security be militarized? Should cross-border influence operations be increased?

Bangladesh, once celebrated as a democratic model in South Asia, is now teetering on the edge. As Jamaat returns, Hasina is hounded, and Yunus plays kingmaker in the shadows—the soul of a nation hangs in the balance.

The battle for Bangladesh’s identity has begun. And India cannot afford to look away.