Bangladesh sees wave of political vengeance since ouster of former PM Hasina: Report

Dhaka, Aug 22 (IANS) Bangladesh has witnessed a staggering wave of political retribution since the fall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, with minorities bearing the maximum brunt under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, a report cited on Friday. It detailed that more than 2,000 attacks on Hindus have been recorded since last year’s July demonstrations, noting that several Hindu teachers were dismissed from their jobs while extremists flourished in the prevailing climate.

Additionally, the report revealed that between August and late September 2024, police registered cases against more than 92,000 people, including hundreds of former ministers, MPs, and Awami League officials, marking the beginning of a sweeping crackdown.

“In February 2025, the interim government launched 'Operation Devil Hunt,' a sweeping campaign it claimed was aimed at organised criminality tied to the former regime. Within weeks, over 12,000 people had been arrested nationwide. The United Nations, meanwhile, estimates that at least 11,700 people were detained in connection with the student-led protests that helped bring down the old order,” wrote leading political and security analyst Chris Blackburn in an article for digital portal Narrativa 360.

“When arrests are carried out at such scale and speed, the distinction between justice and vendetta collapses. At least 10 detainees have died in custody, officially recorded as ‘heart attacks.’ The truth, like the justice system itself, remains murky,” he added.

According to the report, the July Declaration launched in Dhaka presented like a triumphant statement, celebrating the fall of Hasina’s government, while beneath the rhetoric of liberation, the document provides little in terms of stability, unity, or justice. Rather than a blueprint for reconciliation, it has been described as a document driven by revenge.

Highlighting that the July Declaration goes so far as to demand constitutional recognition for the 2024 student protest in Bangladesh, the report warns that states that elevate moments of upheaval into permanent scripture seldom evolve into pluralist democracies, but rather degenerate into exclusionary regimes.

“The international community should read the July Declaration for what it is: a warning. Bangladesh is not being rebuilt. It is being hollowed out by historical revisionism, fear politics, and vendetta. Investors, allies, and development partners will hesitate to commit to a state that cannot provide narrative stability, let alone rule of law,” the report noted.

The report emphasised that the July Declaration, which claimed to embody “the aspirations of the people”, in fact reflects the anger of the single camp. By criminalising Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, silencing “Joy Bangla”, rehabilitating Jamaat-e-Islami, and casting the Awami League outside the national story, it said Yunus has opted for revenge over reconciliation. This is not an act of statesmanship, but rather an assault on Bangladesh’s history.

--IANS

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