Facts back Hasina's claim of law-and-order collapse under Yunus government: former Indian diplomat Mahesh Sachdev

Speaking to ANI, Sachdev said facts on the ground justify Hasina's criticism of the Yunus administration, particularly over the handling of violence following the killing of Inqilab Moncho leader Osman Hadi.

"I think facts speak in support of what Sheikh Hasina has said. Bangladesh's home authorities have admitted that they don't know where the alleged killer of Hadi is hiding. Earlier they had claimed without any evidence that he has fled to India," Sachdev said.

"Now they say that they don't know where he is. So, that allegation which spurred a wave of anti-India sentiments, is not corroborated. And Sheikh Hasina has done the right thing to say that in public," he added.

Sachdev also criticised repeated statements by Bangladesh's current political figures, which he said had contributed to tensions with India.

"Bangladesh under the current dispensation has often made either through the leadership or through the so-called political leaders. The windbags and hotheads have claimed a greater Bangladesh comprising certain areas of India. And have made ill-concealed references to chicken neck being broken or seven sisters being isolated," he said.

He warned that such remarks were reckless. "They should not forget that India is a far bigger and quite competent country politically and militarily. Such statements are counterproductive," Sachdev added.

However, the former diplomat noted that tensions between Hasina and Yunus were not new. "Historically, it is well known that Sheikh Hasina and Muhammad Yunus have had a difficult relationship. They have competing claims to leadership in Bangladesh, and this has spurred their mutual antagonism," he said.

Sachdev said Hasina's latest remarks also reflected a broader attempt to highlight the decline in Bangladesh since her removal from office.

"The statement also seems motivated by her attempt to show that the current situation has deteriorated since she left power. This is borne out by objective indicators such as a decline in growth and rising unemployment," he said.

Hasina, who has blamed the Yunus-led interim government for the recent violence, said the killing of Osman Hadi exposed a breakdown of governance.

"This tragic killing reflects the lawlessness that uprooted my government and has multiplied under Yunus. Violence has become the norm while the interim government either denies it or is powerless to stop it. Such incidents destabilise Bangladesh internally but also our relationships with neighbours who are watching with justified alarm. India sees the chaos, the persecution of minorities, and the erosion of everything we built together. When you cannot maintain basic order within your borders, your credibility on the international stage collapses. This is the reality of Yunus' Bangladesh," she said.

Hasina also accused the interim administration of empowering extremist elements. "I share this concern, as do millions of Bangladeshis who prefer the safe, secular state we once were," she said.

"Yunus has placed extremists in cabinet positions, released convicted terrorists from prison, and allowed groups linked to international terrorist organisations to take roles in public life," Hasina alleged, adding that radicals were using Yunus as a cover to gain legitimacy while "systematically radicalising our institutions from within, " she added. (ANI)