How Yunus' assault on shared Bengali heritage betrays his own nation

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4 days ago

The Gopalganj violence, the failure to conduct autopsies, and the move to demolish Satyajit Ray's ancestral home are not mere missteps but a profound betrayal of the Bangladeshi people's trust and their shared history with India read more
It is absolutely essential that the Yunus-led interim government take immediate steps to restore Bangladesh's democratic character while safeguarding the rich Bengali heritage that defines the nation and its deep ties with India. Image: AP
The bloodbath in Gopalganj on July 16, 2025, is a gut-wrenching testament to the catastrophic failure of Muhammad Yunus's interim government, a regime that has plunged Bangladesh into a vortex of violence and cultural betrayal. This wasn't just a clash; it was a massacre, with at least five confirmed dead—though Bangladesh Human Rights Watch (BHRW) suggests a staggering 21 fatalities, a number the government refuses to verify. The Nationalist Citizens' Party (NCP), widely seen as Yunus's puppet, sparked the chaos by confronting Awami League supporters in Gopalganj, the symbolic heartland of Sheikh Hasina and the birthplace of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
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The state's response was not justice but repression: a suffocating curfew, over 160 arrests, and a chilling refusal to conduct autopsies on the victims, as confirmed by Jibitesh Biswas, superintendent of Gopalganj General Hospital. No death certificates were issued, and Dhaka Range DIG Rezaul Karim Mallick's vague promise of 'legal procedures' is a hollow insult to the grieving. As someone who holds Bangladesh's storied resilience close, I'm enraged by this desecration of Gopalganj, a place that embodies the nation's fight for freedom, now stained by a government that seems to revel in tearing it apart.
This isn't an isolated tragedy but a symptom of a broader collapse under Yunus's watch since August 2024. The interim government has presided over a relentless wave of violence—murders, mob lynchings, rapes, and attacks on minorities—that has left Bangladesh's social fabric in tatters. The brutal killing of Lal Chand Sohag in Dhaka and the gang rape in Cumilla are not anomalies but glaring evidence of a nation spiralling into lawlessness. Yunus, with breathtaking arrogance, claims crime statistics show 'stabilisation', a lie so blatant it mocks the fear gripping ordinary citizens. The move to demolish the ancestral home of Harikishore Ray Chowdhury, Satyajit Ray's forebear, in Mymensingh—once the Mymensingh Shishu Academy—is a deliberate act of cultural vandalism.
India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) requested for its preservation, offering to fund its transformation into a museum celebrating the shared Bengali heritage of both the nations. West Bengal's Mamata Banerjee echoed this plea, but Yunus's regime responded by saying that the said house has no connection to Satyajit Ray whatsoever, hell-bent on erasing a piece of history that binds India and Bangladesh. Belayat Hossain Mamun, general secretary of the Federation of Film Societies of Bangladesh, warns this is a trial run for further destruction, potentially targeting Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury's birthplace in Moshua, Kishoreganj. The contrast with Sheikh Hasina's government, which restored the Kishoreganj site, is stark—Yunus seems intent on obliterating the very soul of Bengal.
Sheikh Hasina's blistering statement cuts through the fog of this crisis with razor-sharp clarity. She brands Yunus a 'murderer-fascist', accusing him of orchestrating a conspiracy to dismantle Bangladesh's identity through his NCP proxies. Her words are not mere passion but a righteous cry against a regime that has desecrated sacred symbols: Bangabandhu's residence, the Liberation War Museum, the national flag, the anthem, and the Constitution. She points to the NCP's 'March to Gopalganj' as a calculated assault on Bangabandhu's mausoleum in Tungipara, a site she rightly calls the heart of Bengali identity.
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Hasina's assertion that 'Bangabandhu and Bangladesh are one and inseparable' resonates deeply, as does her praise for the people of Gopalganj, who, despite facing tear gas and bullets, stood as guardians of their heritage. The state's response—indiscriminate gunfire on civilians—surpasses, as she puts it, 'medieval barbarity'. The refusal to conduct autopsies or inquests, as admitted by hospital and police officials, reeks of a cover-up, a desperate bid to bury the truth of this bloodshed. Hasina's call for resistance is a rallying cry for a nation under siege by its own government.
The international community is sounding the alarm, and rightly so. BHRW, in a scathing letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, accuses the Bangladesh Army of complicity in the Gopalganj crackdown, a charge echoed by a UK-based human rights group. BHRW's claim of 21 deaths underscores the scale of this tragedy, far beyond the government's sanitised narrative. The NCP, derisively (and accurately) called 'the king's party', stands accused of unleashing a reign of terror—vandalising and burning Hindu temples, statues of national heroes, businesses, and public properties.
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This isn't just violence; it's a systematic campaign to erase Bangladesh's pluralistic identity. BHRW's demand for an independent UN investigation and the deployment of human rights observers is a damning verdict on Yunus's inability to govern. The silence from his administration, refusing to acknowledge the true death toll or address these accusations, only deepens the perception of a regime complicit in chaos. The world is watching, and Yunus's failure to act is a betrayal of the Bangladeshi people and their global allies.
What stings most is the betrayal of the shared heritage between India and Bangladesh. Since Bangladesh's birth in 1971, India has been the unwavering friend of its people, standing shoulder-to-shoulder through the Liberation War and beyond, championing the dreams of a free, vibrant nation. The MEA's offer to rebuild Satyajit Ray's ancestral home was a gesture of brotherhood, a plea to preserve a legacy that transcends borders. Yunus's rejection of this olive branch is not just an insult to India but a slap in the face to the Bangladeshi people, who cherish their cultural roots. The destruction of such sites, coupled with the violence in Gopalganj, signals a regime that cares nothing for the shared history that has long united our nations. It's a gut-punch to those of us who see Bengali culture—its art, its heroes, its spirit—as a bridge between two peoples.
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It is absolutely essential that the Yunus-led interim government take immediate steps to restore Bangladesh's democratic character while safeguarding the rich Bengali heritage that defines the nation and its deep ties with India. The Gopalganj violence, the failure to conduct autopsies, and the move towards demolition of Satyajit Ray's ancestral home are not mere missteps but a profound betrayal of the Bangladeshi people's trust and their shared history with India, a steadfast ally since 1971.
The interim regime must heed the international outcry from groups like Bangladesh Human Rights Watch and honour India's plea to preserve cultural landmarks, such as transforming the Mymensingh site into a museum, as a symbol of unity. By prioritising transparent investigations into the Gopalganj deaths, curbing the NCP's violent excesses, and protecting sites like Bangabandhu's mausoleum and Upendrakishore's Kishoreganj home, the Yunus government can begin to rebuild public faith. Only through genuine democratic reforms and a commitment to preserving the pluralistic, cultural soul of Bangladesh can this government redeem itself and honour the aspirations of a people yearning for justice, stability, and preservation of their very identity.
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The writer takes special interest in history, culture and geopolitics. The views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.