There is a certain irony in the way power ends. For some, it fades quietly; for others, it collapses amid disgrace. And for Professor Muhammad Yunus, once celebrated being Nobel laureate who rode into helm of power in August last year and seen as the savior of Bangladesh is ending in a spectacle – a spectacle that looks less like statesmanship and more like a “Last Supper” staged on the world’s diplomatic stage, mostly because of his series of controversial actions, including empowering religious bigots as well as corruption sharks within his inner circle. Yunus too has grabbed at least 26 business ventures either under the umbrella of his own – “Grameen Bank” as well as other seen and unseen business establishments in the world.

At the twilight of his interim “government”, Yunus currently is in New York City to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). His critics – and even loyalists are claiming, during this trip, Yunus has spent hundreds of billions of takas from the national exchequer. In my opinion, by all accounts, this was his farewell performance, the last opportunity to leave behind an image of dignity and restraint. Instead, it turned into an exhibition of extravagance, nepotism, and the very political culture he had once promised to rise above.

Although the official travel booklet listed 62 delegates, including advisers and security personnel – yet government records revealed the real number: 104. Among them were not just bureaucrats and diplomats but also leaders of three political parties— Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami, and the little-known National Citizen Party (NCP). This little known and newly born NCP is yet to get registered with the Election Commission in Bangladesh, despite the fact, it enjoys state patronize as being a brainchild of Yunus himself. This blending of political operatives into what was supposed to be a non-partisan, caretaker delegation betrays the very essence of what Yunus’s government claimed to be: neutral and transitional.

Businessmen, relatives, and party loyalists would routinely find themselves in the mix, enjoying the privileges of taxpayer-funded junkets. But Yunus had claimed to........

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