When Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel laureate, became Chief Adviser to Bangladesh’s interim government in August 2024, expectations were high that his leadership would stabilise the nation after Sheikh Hasina’s ousting. Renowned for his microcredit work, Yunus was seen as a harbinger of reform. Yet, one year later, Bangladesh faces a grim reality of rising hate, Islamic extremism, targeted attacks on Hindus, and questionable global alliances.

Far from a golden era, Yunus’s tenure has coincided with a surge in communal violence, with over 2,000 documented attacks on minorities, particularly Hindus, since Hasina’s departure, according to a local minority rights organisation. Temples, homes, and businesses have been vandalised, and figures like ISKCON monk Chinmoy Krishna Das face sedition charges for advocating minority rights, signalling a crackdown on dissent.

Yunus’s dismissal of these incidents as “exaggerated propaganda" has drawn sharp criticism, with a UN report confirming widespread mob violence against Hindus, Ahmadiyya Muslims, and indigenous groups. The administration’s failure to curb extremist elements, including the registration of a previously banned Islamist party as a political entity, has emboldened radical forces.

Additionally, Yunus’s international engagements with figures tied to Islamist-leaning governments have raised concerns about Bangladesh’s shift toward alliances that could destabilise regional security. As Bangladesh navigates this turbulent year, the promise of democratic renewal has been eclipsed by division, persecution, and a troubling tolerance for extremism, threatening the nation’s secular and pluralistic foundations.

Surge in Communal Violence Against Hindus

Since Muhammad Yunus assumed leadership in August 2024, Bangladesh has seen a sharp rise in communal violence........

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