A poor father named Shahjahan wanted to bring a bit of joy to his daughter’s wedding. He played a loudspeaker. For this “crime,” he and his entire family were publicly whipped, humiliated, fined 30,000 taka, and his son-in-law’s rickshaw was confiscated. This incident, which took place in September in Hatiya, Noakhali, is only a horrifying reflection of the country’s present condition.
It is true that the practice of village arbitration has existed in our rural society for ages. But when such arbitration becomes a cover for public torture—when a poor father is beaten and bloodied simply for wanting to enjoy a small celebration—we must understand the dark age we are heading toward. And this darkness has descended since the bloody uprising of July 2024, which overthrew an elected government and installed an illegitimate structure in power.
The environment created by Muhammad Yunus and his so-called interim government has left marginalized people with no safety. Instead of the rule of law, an unwritten rule of extremist, militant-minded fundamentalist groups prevails. The torture inflicted on Shahjahan’s family stems from a mentality that seeks to control any joy, any celebration, any music—according to their own distorted interpretation. This mentality mirrors Taliban-style rule.
Ever since the foreign-funded July riots spilled blood on the streets, we have been witnessing incident after incident in which ordinary people’s basic freedoms are being curtailed. The illegal coup carried out with the direct support of Islamic militant groups and backing from the military is now showing its results. An unofficial form of Sharia law is effectively in place, with local power brokers handing out punishments as they please.
Under the Yunus government, law-enforcement agencies have become practically inactive in such matters. Shahjahan says he went to many in the community seeking justice but found none. Police, administration, and local representatives all seem to have turned a blind eye. Because under this illegitimate regime, those who hold real power either encourage such fundamentalist actions or remain silent for political gain.
In a country where women once became Prime Minister, Speaker, and Leader of the Opposition, playing a loudspeaker at a daughter’s wedding has now become a punishable offense. This is no isolated incident. Countless events like this are happening across the country, most of which never come to light. The fundamentalist forces empowered under this illegal government have become so emboldened that they can publicly whip people, impose fines, and seize property.
The man who is being called a usurious moneylender, Muhammad Yunus, has long exploited the poor through microcredit. And now in power, he and his circle are holding an entire nation hostage. Those who died or were injured on the streets in July paid the price in blood for this government to rise. But what have ordinary people received in return? Thousands of poor people like Shahjahan now find themselves even more helpless and insecure.
A country whose Liberation War spirit envisioned a secular, democratic Bangladesh is now being pushed toward medieval barbarism. To say that the country has fallen into the hands of Islamic jihadists is no longer an exaggeration—it is the reality. When even the freedom to play a loudspeaker at a wedding does not exist, it becomes clear how deep a crisis we are in.
By remaining silent about these incidents, Yunus and his illegitimate government are effectively supporting fundamentalist forces. Under their patronage and incitement, a reign of fear has taken hold across the nation. Those who believed that a change of power would bring liberation are discovering that a far more terrifying chain has arrived instead.
The rickshaw belonging to Shahjahan’s son-in-law—which was seized—was the family’s only source of livelihood. But in this illegitimate power structure, who cares? The power-grabbers are funded by foreign money; the suffering of ordinary people means nothing to them.
Day by day the situation is worsening. As fundamentalist forces rise and a militant style of local rule spreads, we may soon see even more horrifying incidents. As long as this illegal, military-backed government remains, thousands of people like Shahjahan will continue to face humiliation and torture.
Bangladesh now stands at a terrifying crossroads. On one side is the rise of Taliban-like ideology; on the other is a power-usurping government with no public support and no democratic legitimacy. Thinking about where this journey—beginning from the dark chapter of July 2024—will take the country is enough to cause alarm. And at the center of all this, the only “crime” of a poor father was wanting a little joy at his daughter’s wedding.
This is Yunus’s Bangladesh; this is the gift of the illegitimate coup government.
