Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has accused interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus of “courting Islamabad while trying to erase Sheikh Mujib’s name from history,” signalling her strongest criticism yet of the caretaker government’s foreign policy tilt towards Pakistan.
In an exclusive written interview with WION’s Sidhant Sibal, Hasina said that while it is logical for Bangladesh to pursue stable ties with Pakistan, Yunus’s “rushed embrace” of Islamabad reflected “a desperate, unstrategic desire for international validation.” She added that Pakistan “has never apologised for 1971,” referring to the Liberation War that led to Bangladesh’s independence and cost an estimated three million lives.
Strained legacy and shifting ties
The renewed Dhaka–Islamabad engagement marks a sharp departure from decades of frosty relations rooted in the 1971 war, during which Sheikh Mujibur Rahman — Hasina’s father and Bangladesh’s founding leader — led the independence movement against Pakistan’s military rule.
Since Yunus assumed office as Chief Adviser in August 2024, following Hasina’s ouster, Pakistan and Bangladesh have exchanged multiple high-level visits, including delegations from Islamabad’s military establishment. This outreach has prompted criticism from Hasina’s Awami League, which views the move as undermining Bangladesh’s secular and nationalist foundations.
Hasina told WION that the “economy is in freefall” under Yunus and accused the interim regime of allowing extremists and collaborators into positions of authority. “Radicals within the unelected government are trying to change who we are,” she said, warning that Bangladesh was “descending into a state of total chaos.”
Concerns over democracy and governance
Responding to questions about her political future, Hasina reaffirmed her commitment to the welfare and stability of Bangladesh. She said the ban on the Awami League’s participation in upcoming elections made any notion of a free or fair vote impossible.
“These planned elections cannot be free, fair or inclusive if the ban on the Awami League’s participation is maintained,” Hasina said. “Millions of ordinary people will be disenfranchised. This regime has no constitutional or moral mandate.”
She emphasised that the Awami League, which has been elected nine times, would continue to challenge the ban “legally, diplomatically and peacefully.”
Attacks on Bangladesh’s heritage
Hasina also condemned the vandalisation of her father’s historic residence, describing it as an attack on the nation’s identity. “The burning of my father’s house was symbolic of what is happening across Bangladesh. This was an attempt to destroy our nation’s founding principles and history,” she said.
She alleged that Yunus’s government had “released convicted terrorists and granted immunity to those he calls ‘July warriors’ — the same people who burned police stations and lynched officers.”
Hasina warned that the rule of law was being dismantled, with “known extremists and collaborators” being elevated to public office.
India’s position and regional implications
On India’s stance towards the current political turmoil, Hasina expressed gratitude for New Delhi’s support and understanding. “India is a longstanding friend, and the ties binding our two countries are deep,” she said.
She noted that India “is watching with justified alarm as Hindus face persecution and as economic partnerships unravel,” blaming Yunus for creating instability that threatens bilateral cooperation. “The ties between our nations run deeper than any temporary government,” she added.
Hasina expressed confidence that “Bangladesh will eventually return to sensible government and restore our natural partnership with India.”
Pakistan ties under Yunus
Asked about increased engagement between Dhaka and Islamabad, Hasina reiterated that Yunus “has no mandate to realign Bangladesh’s foreign policy.”
“Pakistan has never apologised for 1971, yet Yunus courts Islamabad while trying to erase Sheikh Mujib’s name from our history,” she said. “A handful of extremists in his cabinet may dream of undoing our secular foundations and our regional partnerships, but they are fighting against history itself.”
She concluded that once Bangladeshis can vote freely again, “our foreign policy will return to serving our national interests, not the ideological fantasies of extremists who have temporarily seized power.”