Illegitimate Rule and Foreign Interference Threaten National Survival

Bangladesh, born amid the bloodshed of 1971, now teeters on the brink of a profound crisis in 2024–2025. The nation, once forged through immense sacrifice, courage, and moral resolve, faces not merely a governance challenge but a total collapse of order, security, and national purpose. Civil strife, economic instability, and growing insecurity haunt daily life, leaving citizens vulnerable and institutions weakened.

The ideals of the Liberation War—justice, democracy, secularism, and nationalism—are being undermined. Women and minorities feel increasingly unsafe, dissent is criminalized, and selective justice prevails. The state has failed to guarantee basic safety, signaling systemic collapse.

The root cause lies in the unlawful disruption of constitutional order. On 5 August 2024, the removal of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, carried out by a clandestine political network, violated legality. Her replacement by Dr. Muhammad Yunus on 8 August 2025, without public mandate, served foreign geopolitical and economic interests rather than the Bangladeshi people. This was a seizure of power, not a democratic transition.

Under Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh had transformed from a struggling nation into a model of development in South Asia. Infrastructure, poverty reduction, women’s empowerment, and digital connectivity flourished. Political stability was maintained—an achievement now absent under the current regime, which governs through fear, confusion, and coercion. Political persecution, unchecked extremism, and potential civil unrest threaten the nation’s cohesion.

The nation’s decline is aggravated by the sidelining of 1971’s founding values. Voices of opposition are silenced, and those benefiting from the status quo are emboldened. Bangladesh is hollowed from within, while citizens are expected to accept lawlessness as normal.

The solution lies not in cosmetic reforms or external advice but in the restoration of constitutional legitimacy. Sheikh Hasina’s immediate return from forced exile in India is crucial. Only her reinstatement can restore legality, institutional discipline, and stability. This is not a call for personality worship but for safeguarding national survival. Sheikh Hasina, as the lawful Head of Government, remains the leader capable of guiding Bangladesh away from catastrophe.

Time is critical. Each day of delay worsens the nation’s wounds, strengthens repression, and accelerates collapse. Bangladesh cannot become a failed experiment in foreign-managed governance. The blood-borne legacy of 1971 must not be betrayed.

The international community must support the restoration of constitutional order, allowing Bangladeshis to reclaim their sovereignty and determine their own destiny. Only by reinstating lawful leadership can the nation be saved from famine, civil war, and societal disintegration.

Source: Sri Lanka Guardian