Bangladesh is in its deepest crisis in over a decade. The military-backed interim government that replaced Sheikh Hasina in 2024 has failed to stabilize the country, leaving the economy, security, and democracy in free fall.

Economic Collapse

• GDP growth has plunged from 6.1% in 2023 to barely 2.3% in 2025.
• Inflation is running above 12%, with food inflation at 16%, hitting the poor the hardest.
• Foreign reserves have fallen from $33 billion (2022) to $14.5 billion (July 2025), raising fears of a balance-of-payments crisis.

Unemployment & Social Fallout

• • Youth unemployment has surged past 28%, the highest in South Asia.
  • Remittances, a lifeline for millions, dropped 11% year-on-year.
  • Over 2 million workers in the garment sector face layoffs due to declining exports.

Law & Order Breakdown

• Homicide rates have risen by 27% in Dhaka and 22% nationwide.
• Mob violence cases increased by 40% in 2025 compared to last year.
• Extrajudicial killings by security forces have exceeded 650 cases since mid-2024.

Islamist Militancy & Extremism

• At least 15 Islamist attacks have been reported since October 2024.
  Recruitment of youth into extremist groups is on the rise, with intelligence reports suggesting thousands are being radicalized online.

Erosion of Rights & Freedoms

• Over 20,000 arbitrary arrests since the interim government assumed power.
• Journalists face daily repression: 135 journalists attacked or arrested in the last 12 months.
• Freedom of assembly and political activity remains completely banned.

Targeted Violence

• Violence against women has increased by 30% since 2024, including widespread sexual assaults in conflict-prone areas.
• Attacks on minorities have doubled, with Hindu temples and Christian institutions frequently vandalized.

Bangladesh today is in a state of economic ruin, political paralysis, and social unrest. Without an inclusive national election that brings all parties, including the Awami League and BNP, to the table, the cycle of instability will only deepen.

A Year of Turmoil in Bangladesh

Over the past year, Bangladesh has experienced an unprecedented deterioration in governance, law and order, and economic stability. Following the military-backed removal of Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus has failed to restore basic security, protect human rights, or uphold democratic norms.

The country faces a convergence of crises: a collapsing economy, rising unemployment, escalating violence against women and minorities, rampant mob lynchings, arbitrary detentions, and attacks on journalists. Political freedoms are virtually nonexistent, and judicial independence has been undermined.

Bangladesh Turned Into The Land of Anarchy

This report examines the multifaceted crisis gripping Bangladesh, highlighting the urgent need for systemic reform and inclusive elections to restore stability and democratic governance.

From Growth to Collapse: Bangladesh’s Economic Freefall

Bangladesh’s economic engine, once a regional success story, is now faltering under the mismanagement of the Yunus-led interim government. GDP growth has fallen below 3%, compared to over 7% in 2023 under the previous administration, while inflation has surged past 12%, up from 5.6% the previous year, sharply eroding citizens’ purchasing power. The Ready-Made Garments (RMG) industry, which fueled the nation’s export-led growth, has laid off over 150,000 workers, whereas it had been adding tens of thousands of jobs annually in 2023. Construction projects are largely stalled, leaving tens of thousands unemployed, and SMEs are shrinking or closing due to bureaucratic interference, a stark contrast to 2023 when small businesses were expanding steadily. Even remittances, a vital lifeline for millions, have slowed after consistent growth in previous years.

Economy slows, investment drops 10-year low

Youth unemployment has reached alarming heights, exceeding 30% among educated graduates, compared with around 18% in 2023, fueling frustration and social instability. Thousands of skilled workers are now seeking migration to Malaysia, the Middle East, and Europe, creating a dangerous brain drain that threatens long-term national growth. The societal consequences are dire: rising crime, growing radicalization, and social unrest have become common as young citizens face diminishing legitimate opportunities.

PPRC Survey Report: Poverty and Inequality on the Rise in Bangladesh

Under Yunus, economic deterioration is not just a slowdown; it is a systemic collapse, with cascading effects on livelihoods, social stability, and the very foundations of Bangladesh’s future. Compared with the relative stability and growth of the previous administration, the country is now sliding toward economic and social chaos.

(make an infographic that shows the difference between the last 1 years economic condition with the previous years)

Lawlessness Rules: Murder, Mob Violence, and Vigilantism

Under the Yunus-led interim government, Bangladesh’s law and order situation has plunged into unprecedented chaos, exposing ordinary citizens to a relentless wave of crime, violence, and arbitrary killings.

Bangladesh sees 11 murders per day as law and order worsens

In just the first six months of 2025, police recorded 1,930 murders, a sharp 25.9% increase from the 1,533 cases during the same period in 2024. Each month shows a worsening trend, with June alone reporting 343 killings, reflecting the government’s complete inability to maintain even the most basic security. Political interference has systematically weakened the police force, with loyalists appointed over experienced officers, top positions left vacant for months, and senior personnel purged for political reasons. The result is a law enforcement apparatus that is incapable of controlling crime or protecting citizens.

The collapse of formal justice has fueled a parallel surge in mob violence and vigilantism. Between August 2024 and July 2025, at least 637 people were lynched by mobs, compared to just 51 deaths under mob violence in 2023, a shocking 1,250% increase. These lynchings often target individuals over suspicions of theft, blasphemy, or even political identity, demonstrating how mob justice has become a substitute for the state’s failed institutions. The brutal public lynching of two Hindu devotees, Ruplal Das and Pradeep Das, in Rangpur over a suspected theft has gone viral, revealing the terrifying normalization of such violence.

637 killed in mob violence, lynching since Sheikh Hasina’s ouster

The situation is further aggravated by the discovery of corpses in rivers, with an average of 43 bodies recovered monthly in 2025, 30% of which remain unidentified. Authorities cite resource constraints and delayed recovery, but analysts warn that criminals are increasingly using rivers as dumping grounds, confident that their victims will go unrecognized and unpunished.

Average of 43 Bodies Found in Rivers Each Month

The combination of rising criminal activity, extrajudicial killings, and unchecked mob violence paints a grim picture of a state in freefall. Citizens have lost faith in courts, police, and the justice system, increasingly resorting to taking matters into their own hands. The Yunus government’s failure to reform law enforcement, hold perpetrators accountable, and restore the rule of law has left Bangladesh teetering on the brink of anarchy, where fear and violence dictate everyday life, and the very fabric of society is at risk of unraveling.

Minorities Targeted, Militancy Thrives: A Year of Lawlessness Under Interim Govt

Under the Yunus-led interim government, Bangladesh is facing an alarming surge of Islamist militancy alongside systematic targeting of religious and ethnic minorities, signaling a deep breakdown of governance and public safety. Over the past year, radical Islamist groups have gained momentum, often operating with political tolerance, while minority communities have become increasingly vulnerable to attacks, intimidation, and social exclusion.

Deaths in mob violence on rise

Since August 2024, at least 111 people have been killed in mob violence, including incidents targeting minority groups. In Rangpur’s Taraganj Upazila, two Hindu devotees, Ruplal Das (40) and Pradeep Das (35), were lynched in public over alleged theft, with videos circulating widely. In the same period, 14 Hindu homes in Rangpur were vandalized, and attacks against minority-owned businesses and temples have been reported repeatedly in Dhaka, Chittagong, and the northern districts. The Chittagong Hill Tracts remain a hotspot for harassment against indigenous groups, including displacement and property destruction.

Begged for life, yet the mob did not spare Ruplal and Pradip

Meanwhile, Islamist militancy has grown under the shadow of government inaction. Extremist networks have carried out threats, attacks, and radicalization campaigns, including targeting secular citizens, activists, and minorities. Reports indicate that at least 40 incidents of extremist-led violence against minorities occurred in the first half of 2025 alone, many involving physical assaults or intimidation. Police frequently fail to intervene, investigations are slow or absent, and prosecutions are rare, leaving extremists to act with near impunity.

The combination of rising militant activity and deliberate targeting of minorities paints a grim picture. Bangladesh is becoming a country where fear, sectarianism, and radicalization flourish, and the interim government’s inaction has allowed this crisis to escalate unchecked. The protection of minorities and the prevention of extremist violence remain urgently unaddressed, highlighting the failure of the Yunus administration to uphold law, order, and constitutional rights.

Escalating Violence Against Women; No One Is Safe Anywhere

Under the Yunus-led interim government, Bangladesh has witnessed a disturbing escalation in violence against women, exposing the systemic collapse of law enforcement and social safeguards. In just the first six months of 2025, official records indicate over 4,200 cases of rape and sexual assault, including at least 650 incidents of gang rape, a stark rise from 3,100 cases during the same period in 2024. These figures likely understate the crisis, as countless survivors refrain from reporting due to fear of retaliation or skepticism toward the authorities.

Child rape cases rise nearly 75% in 7 months

Women now face mounting risks in both public and private spaces. Domestic violence has surged, often exacerbated by economic insecurity and social unrest, while public assaults, sometimes carried out by mobs or politically connected perpetrators, have grown increasingly brazen. The viral circulation of assault videos on social media further deepens trauma, amplifies humiliation, and creates a chilling culture of impunity, emboldening criminals while discouraging survivors from seeking justice.

Epidemic of Sexual Violence in Bangladesh

The government’s inaction is glaring. Investigations are frequently delayed or abandoned, police accountability is near nonexistent, and protective measures are almost entirely absent. High-profile cases in Dhaka, Chittagong, and Rangpur reveal that political connections or social status often shield perpetrators from prosecution, sending a clear signal that violence against women is tolerated, if not indirectly encouraged, under Yunus.

This surge in gender-based violence reflects more than just individual criminality; it underscores a state-level failure. By allowing such crimes to proliferate unchecked, the interim government has not only endangered women but also eroded public trust in institutions meant to uphold justice and safety. The result is a society where women are living in constant fear, and Bangladesh’s international reputation as a safe and rights-respecting country is rapidly deteriorating.

Judiciary Turned Into a Political Weapon

Bangladesh’s judicial system has collapsed into a tool for political repression under the Yunus-led interim government. Courts, once meant to uphold justice and protect citizens’ rights, now serve the interests of a military-backed regime, issuing politically motivated verdicts while denying bail to opposition activists and dissenters. Arbitrary detentions have become routine, with thousands held without trial, often for months or even years, under the pretext of maintaining law and order.

Anti-National Forces Staged Mock Trial Against Sheikh Hasina

The scale of repression is staggering. According to the Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation, as of July 2025, over 516,000 people have been implicated in 1,567 wholesale criminal cases, yet only 79,491 have been named, leaving 436,836 “unnamed”. This mechanism allows authorities to arrest anyone at whim, effectively criminalizing political dissent and stifling free expression. Protest movements, student activism, labor union actions, and opposition party activities have all been targeted, with mass arrests used as a primary tool of control.

Wholesale criminal cases filed across Bangladesh

High-profile cases highlight the politicization of the judiciary. Nearly 400 former ministers, MPs, and other Awami League officials have been named in over 1,170 politically motivated cases, many involving fabricated charges. Individuals like former mayors remain in detention for events that occurred while they were outside the country, demonstrating the arbitrary nature of arrests. Meanwhile, judicial independence has eroded to the point that courts routinely deny bail to opposition members, enforce preventive detention under draconian laws, and rubber-stamp the regime’s crackdown on dissent.

This systematic collapse of judicial independence, coupled with mass arbitrary detentions, has created a climate of fear, repression, and lawlessness, where the legal system no longer serves justice but acts as a weapon against political opponents and citizens seeking accountability. Under Yunus, Bangladesh has effectively become a state where fear replaces freedom, and repression replaces justice.

Surge In Extra-Judicial Killings

Since taking power in August 2024, the Yunus-led Interim Government has presided over a sharp rise in extra-judicial killings, transforming Bangladesh into a climate of fear. Official and independent reports indicate that security forces have frequently resorted to so-called “crossfire” operations, which have become a euphemism for targeted killings of opposition activists, dissidents, and alleged criminals. In the first year of Yunus’s rule, at least 44 police officers were given legal indemnity for killings in such operations, while hundreds of honest, competent officers were removed from key positions purely for political loyalty reasons, further eroding institutional accountability.

Bangladesh Sees Surge in Extrajudicial Killings, Custodial Deaths Under Interim Government

Disappearances of activists have also skyrocketed. High-profile detentions have often ended with the victims vanishing without a trace, leaving families in despair and society in terror. Reports suggest that hundreds of individuals remain unaccounted for, while those responsible within the security apparatus face no prosecution or even investigation. This lack of accountability has emboldened security agencies to operate with impunity, undermining the rule of law and contributing to the perception that the state itself is complicit in systematic repression.

Extrajudicial killings persist despite decline

Under Yunus, extra-judicial killings have become a tool of political control, a direct message to anyone opposing the regime: dissent will be silenced, and justice abandoned. This unchecked use of lethal force not only violates fundamental human rights but has also normalized violence as a method of governance, driving Bangladesh further into chaos.

Human Rights in Freefall

Bangladesh’s human rights situation has deteriorated sharply under the Yunus-led Interim Government. Civil liberties are under siege, with freedom of speech, assembly, and association increasingly curtailed. Independent watchdogs such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights have repeatedly flagged the country for arbitrary arrests, torture, and mass surveillance.

Are human rights eroding under Muhammad Yunus?

Since August 2024, over 516,000 individuals have been implicated in politically motivated criminal cases, many unnamed, enabling the authorities to detain anyone at whim. Journalists and activists are routinely threatened, harassed, or jailed, creating a climate of fear that suppresses dissent. Enforced disappearances remain rampant, with dozens of opposition leaders and human rights defenders disappearing, their whereabouts unknown.

Mass surveillance and intimidation campaigns have intensified. Reports indicate that social media activity is monitored, and critics of the government face reprisals ranging from public harassment to arbitrary detention. Citizens have begun to self-censor out of fear, reflecting the collapse of basic freedoms that are fundamental to any democratic society.

Bangladesh: Review Laws and Protect Human Rights Standards

International observers note that the Yunus administration’s failures have eroded the rule of law, undermined judicial independence, and empowered security agencies to operate with impunity, leaving Bangladesh in a state of systemic human rights crisis. The country now faces a pervasive climate of fear, where ordinary citizens, journalists, and minority communities are left vulnerable to abuse, with no institutional safeguards to protect them.

The trajectory under Yunus is clear: Bangladesh’s civil society and democratic institutions are being hollowed out, leaving the population exposed to repression and lawlessness on an unprecedented scale.

The Only Way to Recovery

Bangladesh is at a crossroads. After a year under the Yunus-led interim government, the country faces a deepening economic crisis, rising unemployment, widespread violence, and severe human rights abuses. Everyday life has become increasingly unsafe, with ordinary citizens bearing the brunt of lawlessness, arbitrary arrests, and social instability. The data is stark: rising murder rates, mass detentions of opposition activists, attacks on journalists, and continued mob violence all point to a state in serious distress.

Bangladesh Is a South Asian Time Bomb

The only realistic way forward is free, fair, and inclusive national elections that involve all major political parties under a neutral caretaker arrangement. The current interim government, closely tied to the National Citizens’ Party (NCP), has already shown clear favoritism and political bias, making it incapable of conducting impartial elections. Without a truly neutral framework, any electoral process would risk cementing the current climate of repression, lawlessness, and injustice.

A free and inclusive election is all we want

International support and oversight are essential to ensure transparency and fairness. At the same time, domestic institutions must be strengthened: judicial independence restored, press freedom guaranteed, and human rights protections fully enforced. These steps are vital not just for immediate stability, but to rebuild public trust, curb radicalization, and create a foundation for long-term democracy.

Bangladesh can recover, but it requires decisive action. Inclusive elections, accountability, and the restoration of rights are the only way to reverse the decline and give citizens hope for a safe, just, and democratic future.

 

Gen Zaman impressed upon Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus that ICT was not the right forum to try eight Army officers allegedly involved in committing crimes against humanity during the July-August 2024 uprising

After exercising restraint for more than a month, Bangladesh Amry chief General Waker-uz-Zaman today took it upon himself to meet Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus to obtain his approval on all pending files related to the promotion of officers in the ranks of lieutenant colonels, colonels and brigadiers.

While much of Bangladeshi media speculated on Gen Zaman’s meeting with Yunus, especially in the backdrop of the deteriorating law and order situation in the country, the Army chief urged Yunus to delink the names of officers facing criminal prosecution in the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) where several of them were sought to be tried for their alleged involvement in extra-judicial killings and other misdemeanours during the July-August 2024 uprising.

Amid widespread speculation, Gen Zaman also met President Mohammad Shahabuddin ‘Chuppu’ to not only brief him about his recent weeklong (August 21-28) visit to China – which was also taken up with Yunus today – but also the presidential seal against all 70 files related to the officers’ promotion.

“The Army chief waited for over a month after the exercise initiated by the Army Promotion Board which met between July 21 and 28 to discuss and deliberate on each promotion case involving lieutenant colonels, colonels, brigadiers and majors general. Today, he got all the files cleared in one go,” a senior government official said.

As far as the prosecution of about eight Army officers – allegedly involved in committing crimes against humanity in cases related to the July-August uprising – Gen Zaman was of the view that they could be tried in some other judicial forum and not the ICT which has faced criticism for being not being a judicially and legally sound platform and instead being a place for “settling political scores”.

Maj Gen (retd) Ziaul Ehsan is among the eight officers who have been charged with committing crimes against humanity during the July-August 2024 uprising.

Gen Zaman met Bangladesh’s Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed to impress upon him the “need and urgency” to delink the eight Army officers from being proceeded against at the ICT. He also sought to know the legal bases and process involved in dissociating the eight Army officers from legal cases that the ICT was overseeing.

Yesterday, Principal Staff Officer in the Armed Forces Division, Lieutenant General Kamrul Hassan met Yunus to apprise him of the Army’s preparedness and deployment during the proposed February 2026 general elections for which no firm date has yet been fixed.

While Gen Zaman today set off for Bangabhaban, the presidential palace, US Chargé d’Affaires Tracey Ann Jacobson was scheduled to meet Chief Election Commissioner A M M Nasir Uddin, pointing to the shadowy role that the US embassy in Dhaka has been playing in Bangladesh’s political landscape.

Over the past three weeks, Jacobson sought to embroil herself ever deeply in Bangladeshi politics, meeting representatives of various parties and Chief Justice Refaat Ahmed most recently.

Meanwhile, the arrival in Dhaka of former US Ambassador Peter D Haas late on Saturday night has not gone unnoticed with different political and security quarters expecting him to become “politically active” during his week-long sojourn. Haas is a strategic adviser with Texas-based Excelerate Energy which has an establishment in Cox’s Bazar.

 

 

Pratim Ranjan Bose:

Exactly one year later, Bangladesh witnessed an even more venomous attack on civil liberties – this time by the protestors who are now in power. They have formed a political party, the National Citizen Party (NCP), with full backing from the administration. They act as the de facto rulers of the country, despite having no track record of winning elections.

According to official reports, at least four Awami League supporters died and nine were injured in Gopalganj. Unofficially, the toll is believed to be higher. Gopalganj is Sheikh Hasina’s electoral constituency, her hometown, the burial ground of her father and Liberation War hero Mujibur Rahman, and the strongest bastion of the Awami League. Officially, the incident began when League supporters allegedly tried to prevent NCP from holding a rally there. The reality, however, appears completely different.

Since the fall of the Hasina government, the NCP and its close ally Jamaat-e-Islami have been targeting Mujibur Rahman’s legacy. In February, they demolished the Dhaka house where Mujibur Rahman had lived and was assassinated in 1975. At their insistence, the Yunus administration criminalised the Awami League, equating it with terror groups, and misused state power to harass its activists. This is in addition to open threats and harassment directed at anyone who dared to raise questions even remotely favoring the League or its ideological anchor, Mujibur Rahman.

Over the last two weeks, NCP leaders, activists, and their support groups made provocative social media remarks, suggesting they intended to destroy Mujibur’s memorial in Gopalganj. They hyped their planned visit, calling it the “March to Gopalganj,” echoing the “March to Dhaka” on August 5, 2024, which had aimed to oust Hasina.

Awami League supporters in Gopalganj were kept in the dark about what was being planned. The heavy police deployment in support of the NCP rally only heightened tensions. An anxious Gopalganj, fearing a state-sponsored attack on their ideological roots, blocked the roads to the rally venue. NCP leaders arrived, escorted by large contingents of police and army.

What happened next is history. People resisted what they perceived as an assault. Police and army opened fire, killing several with impunity. In one video, someone is heard instructing police to aim directly at people. Exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin posted a video on Facebook showing police taking a youth named Ramzan into custody. He was allegedly carrying firearms. Ramzan was later found dead, a bullet piercing his chest—an extrajudicial killing.

The NCP leaders left unharmed, under army protection. But the issue didn’t end there. Law enforcement launched a massive crackdown against Awami supporters in Gopalganj. A former July 2024 protestor, now a minister in charge of rural affairs, posted photos of himself overseeing operations remotely. He vowed to destroy the Awami League’s support base in Gopalganj.

If Obaidul Quader and others were condemned in 2024 for insensitive remarks, yesterday’s events in Gopalganj revealed an even more shameful display of state muscle. Senior NCP leaders took to social media demanding that the administration “teach Gopalganj a lesson,” or else threatened to do it themselves. The Yunus administration’s silence in the face of NCP’s power play is unprecedented in recent Bangladeshi history.

Wednesday’s violence is merely the consequence of a year-long trend. Back in July 2024, mainstream media and intelligentsia were openly critical of the Awami League and Hasina. Social media was overwhelmingly anti-Hasina, with expatriate bloggers leading the charge.

More importantly, Western human rights watchdogs and media outlets were critical of the Hasina government. According to accounts from Jeffrey Sachs and others, the U.S. played a role in engineering regime change in Bangladesh.

Since then, the Western media has gone soft on the Yunus administration. Human rights concerns have faded. Social media is still dominated by the anti-Hasina, anti-Awami League cabal, while Bangladeshi mainstream media has lost its edge. Awami League activists and sympathisers are facing persecution, and 266 journalists are under criminal investigation – many on fictitious murder charges.

Except for a handful of Dhaka-based commentators, mostly using social media, critical voices have vanished. In 2024, opposition to the Awami League was visible on the ground, even if not in Parliament. Today, that space has been lost due to the directionless politics of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) – the League’s historical rival.

The BNP, led by a figure in London, was expected to rise after Hasina’s fall. But in the past year, they have shown little political engagement and more involvement in petty extortion. They speak of democracy, yet endorsed NCP dictated ban on the Awami League. They hope for League supporters’ votes against Jamaat in the next election, but do not criticise NCP-Jamaat combine for orchestrating events like Gopalganj. They demanded elections by December, only to backtrack without explanation.

This vassal-like behavior has deprived Bangladesh of its historic balance between Left and Right. The microscopic Left was traditionally closer to the Awami League; BNP represented the center-right. At the far right stood Jamaat and other Islamist groups. With the League out, and NCP positioning itself between BNP and Jamaat, the balance has tilted decisively toward the Islamists – who now expect to make significant gains in the next election.

The Jamaat-Islamist combine is pushing to erase the League and Mujibur Rahman’s legacy from the ideological landscape – a development that may ultimately backfire on the BNP as well.

Pratim Ranjan Bose is an independent columnist. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect ALBD.WORLD views.

Bangladesh-born US Georgia State Senator Sheikh Rahman has called on the country’s interim government to implement essential reforms and strengthen key institutions ahead of the upcoming national election to ensure meaningful and lasting changes.

While acknowledging Bangladesh’s significant development, the senator emphasised that critical challenges persist.

He urged the government to implement minimum reforms and ensure exemplary punishment for the individuals responsible for misgovernance and corruption under previous administrations.

“Law enforcement still remains unsatisfactory and corruption is deeply entrenched across various sectors. Unless these issues are addressed, genuine development will remain out of reach of the people,” he told UNB in Dhaka recently.

Senator Sheikh Rahman visited Bangladesh on a personal trip to see his 97-year-old mother and celebrated Eid-ul-Azha at his birthplace in Sararchar village of Kishoreganj for the first time in 45 years. He left Bangladesh for the US on Wednesday, July 2.

In addition to his personal engagements, Senator Sheikh Rahman held several meetings in Dhaka and Gazipur with Bangladeshi and US officials, as well as members of the business community.

Advocacy Reforms

On the political front, Senator Sheikh Rahman stressed that holding elections alone is not enough without structural reforms. “Reforms in law enforcement and the judiciary are essential. Reports of political harassment, including some from my own hometown, are deeply concerning,” he said.

Referring to various reports about illicit financial outflows from Bangladesh, Senator Sheikh Rahman urged the government to sign the bilateral agreements to trace and recover the stolen assets.

He also suggested utilising multinational organisations, of which Bangladesh is a member, to support efforts in tracking and repatriating the illicit funds.

“Core reforms must be implemented before the elections. Remaining reforms can be addressed by the next elected government,” he added.

Senator Sheikh Rahman emphasised the need for a long-term commitment to democratic governance. “Bangladesh must ensure smooth and transparent transfers of power — not just for one election, but consistently over the next 25 to 30 years,” he said.

The senior US politician, a member of the Democratic Party, urged Bangladeshi politicians, bureaucrats and business leaders to act with integrity. “State institutions need to be strengthened. Nepotism must be stopped. Only competent and ethical individuals should be entrusted with national responsibilities,” he said.

Concern Over the Rohingya Crisis

Senator Sheikh Rahman has expressed his grave concern over the ongoing Rohingya crisis, terming it a major humanitarian issue in Bangladesh. Though he was interested in visiting the Rohingya camps to witness the situation firsthand, the senator said that the relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, had not yet responded to his request.

“This Rohingya crisis remains urgent, particularly due to declining external funding. If the Bangladesh government seeks my support, I’m ready to raise the issue with the US government, especially about the US funding,” he said.

Call for Environmental Responsibility

The senator emphasised the need for raising civic responsibility and environmental awareness among Bangladeshi people.

“Wherever I go out, I see trash scattered at most of the places. Citizens must take their own initiatives to keep their surroundings neat and clean. A cleaner environment improves quality of life and boosts tourism. Bangladesh has enormous potential, and I’m very interested in promoting its tourism even in the US if environmental conditions improve,” he said.

Family Reunion

All of Senator Rahman’s family members, relatives, and friends gathered during his visit to his birthplace in Sararchar village and at his residence in Dhaka. They held a reunion at a community center in Dhaka, where they shared food and enjoyed each other’s company. The senator described the trip as “a very memorable and the best visit,” noting that it was a special occasion for his entire family to reunite after many years.

Legislative Support

In April, the Georgia State Senate passed a resolution introduced by Senator Rahman recognising the 2024 student-led movement in Bangladesh advocating for civil service quota reforms and broader democratic demands.

The resolution extended best wishes to the interim government, led by Nobel Laureate Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, for its commitment to reform.

 

Md Owasim Uddin Bhuyan, Communication student at University of Texas