Sheikh Hasina Accuses Interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus of Undermining Democracy in Bangladesh

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has launched a blistering critique of the country’s interim Chief Adviser, Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, accusing him of eroding democratic institutions and enabling extremism under the guise of technocratic leadership.

In an exclusive interview with CNN-News18’s Manoj Gupta, Hasina claimed that the international community’s “illusion is fading,” as they begin to realize that Yunus’s global reputation as an economist has been “mistakenly equated with democratic legitimacy.” She described Yunus as “an unelected head of state” whose interim government is “dismantling the constitution and failing to safeguard minority rights.”

Hasina further alleged that Yunus serves as a “front man for extremists within his administration,” asserting that his cabinet includes individuals with radical leanings who are “pursuing a sectarian, score-settling, and socially regressive domestic agenda.”

Questioning Yunus’s democratic credentials, the former Prime Minister pointed to his lack of an electoral mandate and condemned the interim government’s reported decision to bar the Awami League from contesting the upcoming national election. “He is not a symbol of democratic regime change, nor does he command any popular support,” Hasina said. “He is an unelected figure attempting to exclude from the ballot a party that has been elected nine times and is supported by millions.”

Issuing a stern caution to Western nations, Hasina warned that “those who view Yunus as a reformist or a friendly face are being misled.” She emphasized that his past achievements in economics and microfinance “should not be mistaken for political legitimacy or effective control over a government that is steering Bangladesh away from its democratic foundations.”