Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina reacted to the death of student leader Sharif Usman Hadi, accusing the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government of presiding over “lawlessness” and claiming the violence reflects a breakdown of governance that has worsened since her ouster.In an email interview with ANI, Hasina said the killing of the youth leader underscored a growing culture of violence under the interim administration, warning that the situation was destabilising Bangladesh internally and straining ties with neighbouring countries, particularly India.“This tragic killing reflects the lawlessness that uprooted my government and has multiplied under Yunus. Violence has become the norm while the interim government either denies it or is powerless to stop it.
Such incidents destabilise Bangladesh internally but also our relationships with neighbours who are watching with justified alarm. India sees the chaos, the persecution of minorities, and the erosion of everything we built together.
When you cannot maintain basic order within your borders, your credibility on the international stage collapses. This is the reality of Yunus's Bangladesh,” Hasina said.
Her remarks came after the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent youth leader associated with Bangladesh’s 2024 “July uprising” and spokesperson of the political platform Inqilab Mancho.
A responsible government would protect diplomatic missions and prosecute those who threaten them. Instead, Yunus grants immunity to hooligans and calls them warriors,” Hasina alleged.Sheikh Hasina also warned of what she described as the growing influence of radical Islamist forces, claiming the interim government had released convicted terrorists and allowed extremist-linked groups to enter public life, raising alarms about Bangladesh’s secular foundations."I share this concern, as do the millions of Bangladeshis who prefer the safe, secular state we once were. Yunus has placed extremists in cabinet positions, released convicted terrorists from prison, and allowed groups linked to international terrorist organisations to take roles in public life. He is not a politician and has no experience governing a complex nation. My fear is that radicals are using him to project an acceptable face to the international community while they systematically radicalise our institutions from within," Hasina said.Separately, Hasina criticised the interim government’s approach to Pakistan, arguing that major foreign policy shifts were being pursued without democratic legitimacy.She said that Bangladesh had long adhered to a balanced diplomatic principle but accused Yunus of moving hastily to reorient ties after alienating traditional allies.“Bangladesh has always believed in friendship to all, malice toward none.
Of course it makes sense for our country to have a stable relationship with Pakistan, but Yunus’ headlong embrace is inappropriate. Having needlessly alienated many of our longstanding allies, he now seems desperate to find a friend on the world stage,” Hasina said.She further stressed that the interim administration lacked the mandate to undertake strategic realignments that could have long-term consequences.“The crucial point is this: Yunus has no mandate to realign Bangladesh's foreign policy. He was not elected, so he has no right to make strategic decisions that could impact generations. 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. The ties between Bangladesh and India are fundamental and will endure long after this interim government is gone,” she added.
Curated by Shiv Shakti Mishra
