Into a quagmire

Bangladesh under Mohammad Yunus has become unstable and violence-prone, with no roadmap to an elected government

- PINAK RANJAN CHAKRAVARTY

VIOLENT REGIME CHANGES have left many countries a shambles, with successor puppet regimes rarely managing to bring stability. Examples include Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya and Ukraine. Bangladesh is the latest victim of such a regime change, as it struggles to cope with the consequences of Sheikh Hasina's ouster as prime minister.

Ultimately, it was the Bangladeshi army's decision to collaborate in the regime-change operations, possibly under compulsions both external and internal, that delivered the coup de grace. The imposition of Prof Mohammad Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize winner known to be friendly with former US presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, as chief adviser and head of the interim government (IG) has provided acceptability to an unconstitutional government. During his US visit, Yunus, who has never been a professional politician, introduced one of the student leaders by praising his "meticulous" planning of the agitation to overthrow Hasina.

Both Washington and Islamabad welcomed Hasina's exit. China, too, has quickly engaged with the Yunus regime. India, adopting a low-key approach, has had limited engagement with the IG. The only high-level meeting was between India's external affairs minister and the Bangladeshi foreign adviser on the sidelines of the UN meeting in September. Scheduling problems prevented a meeting in New York of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Yunus, though Modi tweeted his greetings and appealed for the protection of Hindus facing targeted violence in Bangladesh. Later, Yunus telephoned Modi and had a conversation.