The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus and Army Chief Waker-uz-Zaman is making decisions that would make anyone stunned. An agreement with China to manufacture drones, purchasing Chinese air-defense systems through Pakistan, and planning to deploy them in Lalmonirhat. Hearing all this, it seems these actions are not being taken by any responsible government, but rather by people who either do not understand the basics of geopolitics or are deliberately pushing Bangladesh onto a dangerous path.
What does it mean to install a Chinese defense system in Lalmonirhat, right next to the Indian border? Is this merely a defensive measure, or a direct message to India? What does a country surrounded by India on three sides and economically dependent on the Indian market and transit expect by taking such steps? Security—or a suicidal political statement?
If India considers this a threat to its own security, have Mr. Yunus and General Waker thought about what India’s response might be? Will India sit quietly while Chinese military technology is deployed near its border? If India interprets this as something akin to war, what will become of Bangladesh? Our military strength is not comparable to India’s. If a conflict starts, it would end in disastrous consequences for Bangladesh.
But the story doesn’t end there. If India gets involved, Russia will come to support its long-time ally. If Russia comes, the United States won’t sit silently either—they will intervene too. And then Bangladesh will turn into a battlefield for world powers, just like Ukraine, Syria, or Afghanistan. Haven’t we seen what happened to those countries? Ruins, hundreds of thousands of deaths, millions displaced. Is that what awaits Bangladesh?
The question is, why is this interim government walking down such a suicidal path? Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel laureate whom people once believed truly wanted the country’s welfare—how is he making decisions that could push the entire nation toward danger? By what logic, for whose interest?
What happened in July 2024 was not a spontaneous movement. It was a well-planned riot involving foreign funding, the support of militant organizations, and backing from a faction of the military. Yunus and his associates came to power by ousting an elected government through a military coup. No matter how nicely it is packaged, it is still an illegal seizure of power.
What this illegitimate government is doing now is even more frightening. It is as if they deliberately want to turn Bangladesh into a zone of conflict among regional and international powers. Leaning toward China and Pakistan to pressure India will bring Bangladesh no benefit—only destruction.
The role of Army Chief Waker-uz-Zaman is also questionable. The military’s duty is to protect the country’s security, not push it toward war. But the decisions being taken now suggest that some agenda other than national security has become more important.
Ukraine didn’t reach its current state in a single day. It started in much the same way. A country caught in great-power rivalry turned into rubble. Is Bangladesh walking that same path? Do Yunus and his associates want to turn Bangladesh into the next Ukraine?
This government has no mandate, no electoral legitimacy. What they are doing is not for the people’s interest, but for their own and that of their patrons. Those who seized power illegally are gambling with the country’s future. But it is ordinary people who will pay the price—innocent citizens becoming victims of great-power games.
The people of Bangladesh do not want war or destruction. They want peace, development, and a normal life. But the direction in which Muhammad Yunus and his associates are taking the country is the complete opposite of these basic aspirations. They seem to have forgotten—or perhaps do not care—that the future of 170 million people lies in their hands. This irresponsibility and dangerous game must stop, or Bangladesh may collapse beforehand.
