Washington, DC – Since Dr. Yunus came to power amid the upheaval of July and August of last year, Bangladeshis have been caught between confusion and concern. However, a clearer picture of his policies is beginning to emerge. The world, particularly the West, must take heed of the strategies this octogenarian has in mind. The stability of the most densely populated region is not just a local concern; the very safety of Western nations could be at risk.
On February 5, Dr. Yunus casually mentioned the possibility of revoking police verification for issuing passports to Bangladeshis. This followed a government announcement, pending stakeholder agreement, that the armed forces may begin military training for youth.
When we consider these developments together, it becomes evident that the international community should take Dr. Yunus’s intentions seriously.
Many observers believe that the decision to eliminate police background checks is aimed at granting citizenship to a large number of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh who are under police protection and watch, residing in several camps. There may also be pressure from Saudi authorities to provide citizenship to the Rohingya refugees currently in Saudi Arabia. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina previously resisted such pressures from Saudi Arabia.
After lengthy negotiations lasting almost four years, the Bangladesh government agreed in principle to renew passports for approximately 69,000 Rohingyas residing in Saudi Arabia.
The issue, however, runs deeper. Since the influx of the first wave of Rohingyas into Bangladesh in the late 1970s, successive military governments have cultivated relationships with radical groups like Jamaat-e-Islami, allowing them to establish aid operations with support from Middle East-based donors in the Rohingya refugee camps. There have been substantial allegations and proof that Jamat-e-Islami (JI) and JI-backed terrorist group JMB ran training camps for their members there.
A second wave of refugees arrived in the 1990s, and prior to the genocide in 2017, about 300,000 Rohingyas were already living along Bangladesh’s border. Following 2017, over one million additional refugees entered the country, leading to crime-ridden camps and the presence of militant groups. Sheikh Hasina’s government has taken a rigorous approach to combat terrorism.
However, an often overlooked factor is the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan, which has long sought to exploit Bangladesh in its proxy war against India. This was particularly evident from 2001 to 2006 when the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, alongside the radical Jamaat-e-Islami, governed the country. During this tumultuous period, radical Islamist extremist groups thrived with implicit backing from the state apparatus.
“There is clear evidence that Pakistan, via its ISI in conjunction with the military, is giving protection, training, strategic planning, financial assistance, and equipment to terrorist and insurgency groups to destabilize neighboring countries, foremost Afghanistan and India,” Siegfried O. Wolf, director of research of the Brussels-based think tank South Asia Democratic Forum, told DW back in 2020 (4). The situation is much more favorable with the new setup than what it was five years ago.
It is increasingly evident that Dr. Yunus is aligned with and supported by highly organized radical Islamist groups, particularly Jamat-e-Islami. Even before assuming office, Dr. Yunus issued threats to India, warning of a destabilizing chain reaction in the region should Bangladesh face unrest.
One of his advisors, introduced by him at the Clinton Foundation program late last year as the “mastermind behind the July/August upheaval” in Bangladesh, alarmingly posted a redrawn map of Bangladesh on his verified Facebook account. This map claimed territory that encompasses all the Indian states to the east of Bangladesh, known as the “Seven Sisters,” as well as Muslim-populated districts in West Bengal. Such a public affront by a sitting government official against the sovereignty of a neighboring country is virtually unprecedented. Many observers interpret this as a disturbing sign of the radicalization of Bangladesh, orchestrated by Jamat-e-Islami, with tacit encouragement from Pakistan.
Further compounding these concerns, just two days before the controversial decision to revoke police verification for passport issuance, a bombshell report emerged proposing military training for the youth of Bangladesh.
This proposal, put forth by district commissioners and provisionally accepted by the Principal General Staff of the Army, raises significant concerns. Given its implications for national security, why would such a critical proposal originate from district commissioners rather than being addressed by the parliament when it is elected and in session? In light of the constitutional legitimacy of Dr. Yunus’ administration being called into question and the potential for terrorist affiliations, this turn of events poses a grave threat not only to the region but to global stability as well.
A secretive visit by the Chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and his meeting with the second-in-command of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, reportedly backed by Jamaat-e-Islami, has generated considerable chatter both during and after his visit. This event sparked speculation about a connection between these two troubling decisions and the actions of the administration of Dr. Yunus soon after his visit.
As the situation unfolds, one must remain vigilant regarding the implications of these actions. There is clear evidence that Pakistan’s ISI, in conjunction with the military, may provide protection, training, strategic planning, financial support, and equipment to terrorist and insurgent groups, destabilizing neighboring countries like India and, in that process, making Bangladesh a safe haven for the international terrorist groups with Bangladeshi Passports. This reality calls for the attention of global leaders to ensure that Bangladesh’s trajectory aligns with regional and international stability.
Rana Hassan Mahmud
Rana Hassan Mahmud is a Bangladeshi American political analyst who writes for leading Bangladeshi dailies. An Engineer by training, he studied at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and University of California, Irvine. He is a human rights activist.
