Hasina Accuses Yunus of Power Grab With Militant Aid, and U.S. Complicity

Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, has accused interim government chief Muhammad Yunus of colluding with the United States and extremist groups to seize power, calling the recent ban on her party, the Awami League, “unconstitutional” and “illegal.”

In an audio message published on her party’s official Facebook page, Hasina alleged that Yunus had “sold the nation to the United States” and claimed that her ouster was orchestrated with the support of banned militant organisations.

“He has seized power with the help of terrorists, even those who are banned in various international arenas, against whom my government protected the people of Bangladesh,” Hasina said. “Now prisons are empty. They released everyone. Now Bangladesh is the reign of those militants.” She said.

In an invocation of her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Hasina warned against foreign influence, stating: “My father did not agree to America's demands for St. Martin's Island. He had to give his life for that. And that was my destiny as I never thought of selling the country to stay in power.”

Calling Yunus a “militant leader,” Hasina rejected the legitimacy of his role as Chief Adviser, arguing that the position has no constitutional standing. “Who gave this militant leader, who has illegally seized power, the right to touch the constitution? He does not have the people's mandate and has no constitutional basis.”

Yunus, a Nobel laureate and founder of Grameen Bank, was appointed head of the interim government on August 7, 2024, following a wave of student-led protests that forced Hasina to resign and leave the country. His administration now faces mounting criticism after reports emerged that the military and opposition parties have demanded that general elections be held by December.

The interim government has not publicly responded to the allegations. But Hasina’s statement highlights the deepening rift between the exiled Awami League, the caretaker administration, and Bangladesh’s increasingly assertive military.

Yunus’s administration has not responded to these allegations at the time of reporting.

Hasina’s statement underscores the widening rift between the exiled Awami League, the transitional administration, and Bangladesh’s increasingly assertive military. Once celebrated abroad for his pioneering work in microfinance, Yunus now faces sharp domestic scrutiny. His ability to hold the centre amid calls for elections, student-led reform movements, and the re-emergence of the opposition BNP remains uncertain.