'Talibanisation of Bangladesh': Awami League student wing chief flags Yunus govt's role in minority persecution; fanning anti-India rhetoric

Saddam Hussain, president of the Bangladesh Students League, the student wing of the now-banned Bangladesh Awami League, alleged “Talibanisation” is happening in Bangladesh under the leadership of the Yunus-led interim government.

Speaking to ANI about the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das, Hussain accused the interim leadership of encouraging anti-India sentiment to divert attention from internal failures.


“Whatever happened in Bangladesh, the current illegal government is trying to blame the Indian government. He (Muhammad Yunus) is chanting the anti-India rhetoric so that he can appease the fundamental, extremist groups, and cover up his domestic failure,” he said.

Hussain said mob violence has become routine in the country. “The case of Dipu Chandra Das, who was attacked and burned alive, has become the new normal in Bangladesh. The government played a role in those cases of minority persecution. A sort of Talibanization is going on in Bangladesh right now,” he said.

He further claimed that Bangladesh is now being run by mobs, with the government facilitating terrorist forces.

“There is a situation of total lawlessness in Bangladesh. The mob is actually ruling Bangladesh. The government is facilitating this in every way possible. Extremists were openly meeting with international terrorist organisations, Pakistan-backed organisations, and those who were previously convicted of heinous attacks. What Osman Hadi's brother said paints a sad but accurate picture of the current situation. The government is responsible for all the things that happened inside Bangladesh,” Hussain told ANI.

His comments come amid heightened political tension following the killing of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi and days of violent protests across the country.

Amid the unrest, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman returned to Bangladesh on Thursday after 17 years in exile.

The student wing of the Awami League alleged that Rahman’s return was part of a “backdoor deal” aimed at facilitating a one-sided election.

Hussain said Rahman’s return would deepen political polarisation rather than stabilise the country.

“The return of the BNP's acting chairman will not solve Bangladesh's problems. Ultimately, it will facilitate a one-sided election and ensure the continuation of fascist politics. He is a convicted criminal in multiple cases linked to the 2004 attack and bypassed judicial processes. This is clearly a backdoor deal between the illegal government and the BNP-Jamaat alliance, which will once again push democracy out of the syllabus,” he said.

Meanwhile, incidents of mob violence continue to be reported. Just days after the killing of Dipu Chandra Das, another man was beaten to death by a mob in Rajbari’s Pangsha upazila, according to The Daily Star.