BEFORE DHAKA SETS A FRESH DATE WITH DEMOCRACY

Despite all its posturing, Bangladesh's interim govt realises it can't wish away the nation's interdependence with India. First, Yunus must curb violence on minorities and work towards polls

- PINAK RANJAN CHAKRAVARTY

BANGLADESH is again at a crucial juncture in its turbulent history. It's embroiled in systemic violent reprisals against Awami League members, Hindus and some tribal communities. Its interim government has completed 100 days in office, but hasn't yet projected any time-frame for national elections.

This continuing uncertainty has strategic implications for regional stability and bilateral ties with India.

The imposition of Muhammad Yunus, an economist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, as chief adviser of the interim government (IG) this August was part of an American script. The US exploited the students' agitation to steer the eviction of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with assistance from Pakistan. The Bangladesh Army fell in line with the plan.

We have seen a similar script before. In 2007, Yunus was encouraged to form a political party after a military-backed caretaker government took over power. The Bangladesh Constitution gave the caretaker government the responsibility of conducting elections within 3 months; but it stayed on for almost 2 years. The American-backed attempt to promote Yunus failed, the caretaker government held elections, and Hasina won to become PM in early 2009. As India's high commissioner in Dhaka during 2007-10, I had witnessed these developments firsthand.

Yunus is Bangladesh's global face. Not only is he very close to the Americans-particularly the Clintons and the Obamas-but he has a running feud with Hasina, whose government embroiled him in several hundred cases of financial irregularities. Now, the IG has junked all these cases.