Dhaka, Sep 5: Bangladesh is experiencing its most severe crisis in over a decade, caused by Islamist militancy, extremism, economic collapse, unemployment, a breakdown of law and order, and widespread unrest under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, a report highlighted on Friday.
The country, wrote noted Bangladeshi journalist, historian and political analyst Syed Badrul Ahsan in Northeast News, has witnessed a disturbing escalation in violence against women, exposing the systemic collapse of law enforcement and social safeguards.
In just the first six months of 2025, official records indicate over 4,200 cases of rape and sexual assault, including at least 650 incidents of gang rape, a stark rise from 3,100 cases during the same period in 2024. Bangladesh, wrote Ahsan, has turned into a land of speculation with suppression of dissent and truth, which continues to raise questions about the future of politics in the country.
“The political crisis that occurred in August last year has further deepened. In the 13 months since a well-planned conspiracy forced the Awami League out of office in an unconstitutional manner, mobs loyal to or favoured by the current regime have had a field day disrupting life across the country,” states Syed Badrul Ahsan.
He underscores that the deliberate failure of the Yunus regime to restore order and decency has pushed the nation to a situation where voices are “increasingly being raised in favour of a return of the Awami League to mainstream politics.”
Further, as the mobocracy is calling the shots, there has been increased violations of rights of ethnic and religious minorities. Gross human rights violations have been committed. Yunus still questions the wrongdoings of Sheikh Hasina’s tenure and is himself authorizing political intolerance and exclusion, silencing press freedom, making judiciary compliant, using the ICT and sedition against pro-Awami League and political opponents.
Yunus’ administration is also using the students to justify all illegal and unconstitutional acts including to remain in power, the opinion piece in Northeast News mentioned. The Chief Advisor of the interim government has discarded the constitutional conventions and norms by ignoring President Mohammad Sahabuddin, the sole individual constitutionally holding office today in Bangladesh.
Additionally, there is a growing feeling in Bangladesh that the interim regime is “morally and politically not qualified” to preside over the next general election because of the controversial actions it has taken against the Awami League.
“More so the interim administration has also been accused of overlooking the destruction of history of Bangladesh and historical sites, together with the law enforcement authorities. Bangladesh, the country of 170 million, witnessed lawlessness across the country when a mob demolished the residence of Jatir Pita, (Father of the Nation) Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on February 5 this year.
In the presence of security personnel, the mob used excavators and bulldozers and unleashed an attack on the building in Dhanmondi. Residences of Awami League leaders were also vandalised,” wrote Ahsan. People of Bangladesh, said the noted author, are realising the necessity of rule of law and firmness in restoring law and order.
“The security forces acted swiftly against activists of a small outfit, Gono Odhikar Andolan, headed by former vice president of DUCSU, Nurul Haque Nur to prevent them from causing damage to the Jatiyo Party offices.
Interestingly, the actions taken by the security forces were independently of the Yunus regime, but the actions had conveyed a larger political message to the anarchists,” Syed Badrul Ahsan observed. “For Bangladesh to be home again to the rule of law, an all-encompassing political change has become necessary,” he added.
There are good reasons to believe, he argued, on why the unelected Yunus and his interim administration are reluctant to go for any election measures although the election time schedule of February 2026 has been announced.
“Yunus, the man now running Bangladesh, did not come to power through a legal mandate. As the Awami League has stated, the truth is simple: Yunus holds office not through law, but through forgery and force. The oath he took is invalid. The authority he wields is illegitimate and the system that allowed this fraud to happen is deeply compromised. And yet the judiciary remains silent,” he concluded.
IANS