Will Bangladesh Slip Into a Radical Islamic Regime?

By Nava Thakuria

The unfolding events of recent months have intensified concerns that Bangladesh, our immediate neighbor, may revert to its earlier identity as an Islamic regime. Once a part of undivided Bharat, the Muslim-majority region emerged as East Pakistan in 1947 and later gained independence as a sovereign nation. Bangladesh was born in 1971 as a secular republic, with most citizens embracing their Bengali identity over Islamic nationalism. However, it is now widely feared that Bangladesh might transform into an Islamic republic, akin to its former ally, Pakistan.

The current caretaker government, led by Professor Muhammad Yunus, has made it clear that Islamic extremism has no place in the country. Professor Yunus, the lone Nobel laureate of Bangladesh and now head of the interim government since August 8, 2024, following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government, assured that radicalism would not be tolerated. In response to a query from this writer, the octogenarian banker-turned-social business advocate stated that the youth of Bangladesh, determined to see their nation progress, would not allow religious extremism to dominate.

The student-led movement demanding reforms in government job quotas evolved into a mass uprising that ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. She fled to India on August 5, where she remains in New Delhi. While the central government has not officially declared her a political asylum seeker, it accommodated her following a short-notice request. Hasina’s presence in India, however, has allegedly fueled attacks on religious minorities in Bangladesh, drawing global media attention.

The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council reported over 2,000 attacks on Hindus, who now constitute only 8% of the population, since the first week of August. Vandals targeted over 1,500 sculptures, murals, and memorials related to Hindu culture and beliefs. Reports of burning, uprooting, and defacing cultural and religious items, including life-size statues of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, have been widespread.

Amid public outrage and governmental reactions, India’s socio-cultural organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) expressed serious concern over the rising violence against minorities in Bangladesh. RSS Sarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale warned of Bangladesh’s steady drift toward becoming a radical Islamic state. He condemned the growing persecution of Hindus and other minorities, citing attacks by extremist groups like Jamaat-e-Islami and Hizb ut-Tahrir.

One particularly troubling incident was the arrest and detention of Hindu spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das on sedition charges. The former ISKCON preacher was arrested in Dhaka on November 25 and remains in Chittagong central jail. Efforts to secure his bail have been hindered by threats from Islamist groups against lawyers representing him.

Concerns about the interim government’s actions have also surfaced. Prof. Yunus has been criticized for failing to prevent atrocities against minorities. Reports of Hindu priests being killed or detained under questionable circumstances have emerged. Additionally, the release of convicted Islamist terrorist Mufti Jasimuddin and jail breaks involving other radicals have raised alarms.

New Delhi is also uneasy about the growing ties between Dhaka and Islamabad. Prof. Yunus has met Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif twice since assuming office—once in New York during the UN General Assembly and again in Cairo at the D-8 Summit. These meetings have led to policy shifts, including easing travel restrictions and resuming direct flights between the two countries. A recent shipment from Karachi to Chittagong without customs inspection further underscores the warming relations.

Sheikh Hasina, who demanded a formal apology from Pakistan for the 1971 genocide, had effectively closed doors to Islamabad during her tenure. Her enmity with Prof. Yunus has also been a long-standing issue, exacerbated by corruption allegations against him, which were dismissed after he took charge of the interim government.

Critics argue that India’s continued support for Hasina overlooks her own failures in protecting minorities. During her tenure, radical Islamic elements attacked Hindu temples, with over 100 Durga Puja pandals vandalized in 2021 alone. These incidents, they claim, highlight systemic challenges that go beyond individual leaders.