Plane Tragedy Reminds Bangladesh Of A Friendly India, Failing Yunus Regime
Ordinary Bangladeshis are slowly beginning to see how, despite all the brickbats from across the border, Bharat calmly stands with a helping hand in the time of tragedy
American poet Theodore Roethke, in his poem In a Dark Time, writes: 'In the darkest hour, the eye begins to see.'
Profound tragedy has struck Bangladesh in the form of a plane crash which killed dozens, or possibly over a 100 students of Milestone school and college. The nation is inconsolable. India, made a villain in the eyes of millions of Bangladeshis by relentless propaganda, has rushed burn-specialist doctors and nurses to treat the victims. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was quick to express his condolences.
But the tragedy has set in motion two very strong strains of public reaction in Bangladesh.
The first is a massive and spontaneous outpouring of friendliness and gratitude towards India after years. India had accrued deep public resentment in Bangladesh for backing the increasingly unpopular Sheikh Hasina regime, which ultimately fell to a mob on August 5, 2024. Since then, chief advisor Muhammad Yunus, his virulently anti-India and loose-tongued student advisors, and their Islamist puppeteers like Jamaat and Hizbut Tahrir ensured that relations reach rock bottom.
They tried their best to make people forget India's role in liberating Bangladesh from Pakistan during the 1971 Muktijuddo, or sending vaccines during peak Covid-19, or supporting its economy and developmental projects.
India maturely navigated the bile. No irresponsible remark was fired from New Delhi to Dhaka.
And now, ordinary Bangladeshis are slowly beginning to see how despite all the brickbats from across the border, Bharat calmly stands with a helping hand in the time of tragedy.
Bangladeshi social media, which was hijacked for the last couple of years by radical voices, is now coming alive again with praise for India. Islamist influencers like Pinaki Bhattacharya (a Muslim neo-convert eager to prove his loyalty to his Islamist masters) are being mocked, shamed, and rejected for trying to play dirty, anti-India politics after the deaths of so many students and a few teachers.
While the renewed warmth towards India cuts across BNP, Swami League and Jatiya Party lines, the buyers' remorse over the Yunus regime has accelerated even faster after the Milestone mishap. Bangladesh is realising that it has put in power a bunch of clueless and incompetent young bigots led by a malevolent and maladroit Nobel recipient.
Bangladesh's GDP is at a 20-year low. Its lifeline, the garment industry, has been immobilised by the mobocracy. Local industrialists say a famine-like situation is advancing along with an energy crisis and total collapse of law and order.
To add insult, Yunus was caught on video smiling heartily at an all-party meeting right after the crash which took so many young lives. But he did not stop at that. Instead of announcing an emergency financial package, he exhorted the Bangladeshi citizenry to collect money and help the victims.
This growing callousness, coupled with the recent Gopalganj massacre and public lynching of a businessman, is slowly tipping the patience of the public.
It is still too early to expect a paucity- and violence-torn citizenry to effect change, but it is becoming clear to all that the nation cannot indefinitely feed itself with political and sectarian hate. Knives will have to come back to the kitchen.
Abhijit Majumder is a senior journalist. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views.
view comments
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
25 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Every Time There's An Election...': TMC MP Mahua Moitra Exposes BJP's 'Hindu-Muslim Danga' Strategy
Watch the full interview: where TMC MP Mohua Moitra claims BJP fans Hindu-Muslim riots every time there is an election. Refering to the recent Murshidabad violence, Moitra said it has been a 'classic' BJP tactics to polarise voters ahead of elections. In an exclusive interview with TOI Bharat, TMC MP Mohua Moitra tore apart BJP for allegedly picking up Bengali migrant workers in states illegally. In a freewheeling chat with Aditi Prasad on the recent crackdown on Bangladeshi immigrants in Gurugram, Mahua Moitra alleges that due process have not been followed while detaining Bengali-speaking migrants despite showing identity proofs. Moitra says legal migrants are being picked up on the basis of language, hinting at a sinister ploy to persecute people from Bengal. She has also issued warning that the issue will blow up in the face of BJP which aims to wrest power from Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal in the 2026 assembly elections.#mahuamoitra #mahuamoitrainterview #mahuamoitraspeech #tmc #bjp #pmmodi #narendramodi #amitshah #mamatabanerjee #bengal #bengali #gurugrambengali #gurugrambangladeshi #bengalimigrants #bengaliimmigrants #bangladeshi #bangladeshiimmigrants #illegalimmigrants #rohingyas #bsf #murshidabadviolence #bengalelections #bengalassemblypolls #toi #toibharat #bharat #trending #breakingnews #indianews Read More
NDTV
41 minutes ago
- NDTV
Bangladesh Polls Announcement Likely In August, Yunus Calls For Unity
National elections in Bangladesh are likely to be announced in the first week of August by the country's interim government, according to media reports, with the announcement expected to coincide with the first anniversary of the protests that led to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government. Chief Adviser of the interim government, Professor Muhammad Yunus, is expected to make the announcement through a national address. Elections to install a government with a political mandate are likely to be held in February next year. Several political parties in Bangladesh have been pressing for elections, arguing that the interim government lacks a political mandate. Demands for elections by December, however, appear to have been ignored. Earlier on June 13, Bangladesh Nationalist Party's acting Chairman Tarique Rahman met with Chief Adviser Yunus in London during his official visit to the United Kingdom. In a joint statement following the meeting, Muhammad Yunus had said, "If necessary preparations are completed, the next national election could be held in the week before the beginning of Ramadan in 2026 (early February)." Notably, pressure has been mounting on Yunus to announce elections, as the country has been without an elected government since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. The BNP, which is the main political contender following the ban on the Awami League, remains optimistic about the announcement of an election date and timeline. Bangladesh daily Prothom Alo quoted BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir saying on Monday, "If the Chief Adviser announces the election date within a couple of days, we will be happy-because that's exactly what we have been demanding." However, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, a hardline Islamic outfit that has supported Yunus, is reportedly not in favour of announcing an election date at this stage. Critics argue that Yunus has remained in power with the backing of Jamaat-e-Islami. Following the fall of the Hasina government, the ban on Jamaat was lifted, and its registration with the Election Commission was restored, allowing it to contest future elections. However, Muhammad Yunus has not indicated anything about an election date announcement despite multiple calls to do so. After holding meetings with the political parties on Saturday, he had called for "unity to thwart attempts to disrupt the election." "If all the forces of the uprising cannot come together to conduct a fair election, this great opportunity will slip through our hands," the Chief Adviser said during a discussion with top leaders of various political parties. Expressing hope for the cooperation of all political parties to organise a fair election, Muhammad Yunus said, "Whenever we move forward with election preparations, various conspiracies come to light. But the reality is that no conspiracy can obstruct the democratic journey. Because the unity of all democratic forces on the issue of fascism is clear." Notably, Sheikh Hasina was toppled in a student-led revolution in August 2024 and was charged with crimes against humanity, including incitement, conspiracy, and issuing orders that led to mass killings.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
‘America Is Crumbling': Man Bats For Diversifying Life Abroad In Viral Video
Last Updated: The man expressed his concern over the way things are unfolding in the US and advised others to start preparing for an uncertain future. A video shared by an American man named Adam is gaining widespread attention for its strong message about the state of the US. In the video, Adam shared his concerns about what he believes is a visible decline in the country and advises others to start preparing for an uncertain future. In the clip posted on Instagram, Adam is seen delivering his message with a text overlay that reads: 'America is crumbling before our eyes. You need to diversify: Remote income, Second residency, New passport and International banking." A Cautionary Message Alongside the video, Adam also wrote a detailed caption. He expressed his concern over the way things are unfolding in the country and shared why he believes it is important to act now. 'The USA seems to be falling apart. You need to diversify your life instead of depending on America for everything. There are poor countries today that were great just 100 years ago. You'd be naive to think that it could never happen to the US. You need to diversify your life to protect yourself and your family. You're in the right place." Here Is How Internet Reacted The video has triggered strong reactions across social media. Some users agreed with Adam's views while others shared their own perspectives on the current situation in US. One user commented, 'India gets 130 billion dollars every year from US by Indians working." Another person added, 'I don't think people realize that the damage has been done. Even if everything in the US somehow went 'back to normal' tomorrow, the trust has been lost. Nobody is going to trust that it doesn't happen all over again in the next election cycle." The comment section also featured some sarcasm and humour. 'MAGA thinks everything is great," someone wrote while a person added, 'You forgot international wifey bro." More People Are Speaking Up What Adam shared is not a standalone concern. A recent Guardian report shows that more people across US are beginning to voice similar anxieties about their future. In a poll conducted by The Guardian, six in ten Americans said the economy had disrupted at least one major life goal whether that is owning a home, starting a family or simply feeling secure. Martha Knight, a resident of Louisville, Kentucky, shared that the idea of having kids is now deeply tied to financial concerns. Soaring housing prices in the city have made homeownership feel impossible. For Danielle, a 35-year-old based in Austin, Texas, the uncertainty has shaped her choices. 'I love the community I built here, but as a queer person, I've been hesitant to buy a home and even have kids due to rigid abortion bans and economic instability," she told The Guardian. The country she once felt secure in now feels unfamiliar, calling 'The American Dream is a farce." view comments Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: July 28, 2025, 13:55 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
