Dr. S. Jaishankar
External Affairs Minister
Email: eam@mea.gov.in
Mr Vikram Misri
Foreign Secretary
Email: psfs@mea.gov.in
Mr B. Shyam
Joint Secretary, Bangladesh and Myanmar
Email: jsbm@mea.gov.in
Mr Randhir Jaiswal
Official Spokesperson and Additional Secretary
Ministry of External Affairs
Email: jsxp@mea.gov.in
Re: Need for complete disengagement with the illegal Interim Government of Bangladesh till a new elected government comes to power
Dear Hon’ble Minister and Sirs,
The Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG), which monitors the situation in Bangladesh very closely, welcomes the condemnation of the demolition of the Durga temple in Dhaka by the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs yesterday. At the same time, the RRAG is of the opinion that these official responses have sort of become routine and India needs to take a more firm position for complete disengagement with the illegal Interim Government led by Dr Mohammad Yunus till a new elected government comes to power in Dhaka. India’s ongoing engagement with Dr Yunus has been providing the illegal regime legitimacy and in a way, is not pushing the international community to take a firm position on the need for an elected government in Bangladesh which threatens stability and regional security.
It is pertinent to mention that on 17 December 2024, the High Court of Bangladesh restored the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Bangladesh[1] which allows a caretaker government for a period of 90 days. It implies that the term of the current Interim Government headed by Dr Yunus had expired on 16 March 2025 as per the High Court judgement. And, if the Interim Government of Bangladesh does not recognise the 13th amendment and the High Court judgement, it has no legal footing to stand on.
Despite constitutional illegality, the Interim Government headed by Dr Yunus has been clinging on to power and it managed to stymie the opposition from the Bangladesh National Party following a meeting with Tariq Zia acting Chairperson of the BNP in London on 13 June 2025.[2] The illegal Interim Government has been using reforms to cling on to power despite knowing fully well that it cannot give effect to the recommendations of various reform commissions in the absence of an elected parliament. Establishing reforms commissions on various thematic issues has become an excuse to remain in power – after forming National Consensus Commission headed by none other than Dr Yunus on 13 February 2025[3], in which negotiations are continuing, on 26 June 2025, Dr Yunus formed another Commission to “investigate allegations raised regarding the last three national parliamentary elections and make recommendations for holding fair elections in the future”.[4] It has become obvious that the socalled reform commissions are the lifeline of the illegal Interim Government and Dr Yunus will continue to dish out such commissions on the drop of a hat, just to remain in power.
As the illegal Interim Government faces opposition, mainly from the BNP, it has been relying upon full support from the Jamaat-I-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP). Therefore, the illegal Interim Government has been allowing attacks on the minorities especially the Hindus and indigenous peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, and these attacks are being dismissed as ordinary crimes. . Furthermore, the illegal Interim Government has silenced any opposition by targeting political opponents by banning the Chhatra League and the Awami League, by persecuting the independent media and destroying independence of judiciary as highlighted below:
- Our report, “Bangladesh: Organised murder for membership to the Awami League and its affiliate organisations”[5], dated 6 June 2025 stated that at least 123 members of the Awami League and its affiliate organisations such as Swechasebak League, Chhatra League, Juba League, Matsojibi League, Krishak League etc were victims of targeted murder under the regime of Dr Muhammad Yunus from 5 August 2024 to 30 April 2025. The victims included at least 41 Awami League members who were hacked to death, sometimes by slitting of throats, in a la Taliban style while 21 others were killed in custody of the illegal Interim Government. In its response on 9 June 2025, the Chief Advisor’s Office did not deny a single incident but dismissed these murders as “ordinary criminal or localized motives – not targeted political assassinations”, just the way attacks on Hindu and other minorities are described, absolving the illegal Interim Government from any responsibility.
- Our report, “Bangladesh: Press Freedom Throttled Under Dr Muhammad Yunus”[6], dated 3 May 2025 stated that 640 journalists who came under attacks under the illegal Interim Government from August 2024 to March 2025. Once again, Chief Advisor’s Office without responding to specific cases dismissed our report on 6 May 2025 as “wildly misleading piece of disinformation”, absolve the illegal Interim Government from any responsibility on the attacks on journalists by highlighting “Chief Adviser, a Nobel Peace Laureate, and his Press Secretary, formerly an AFP bureau chief in Dhaka,.. having been recognised for decades as champions of press freedom” and by launching personal attacks on the Director of the RRAG, Mr Suhas Chakma.
- Our report, “Bangladesh: The Case for Establishing OHCHR Field Office”[7] dated 7 February 2025, which was used for campaigning for the UN Human Rights Office in Bangladesh at the 58th Session of the UN Human Rights Council (24 February 2025 to 04 April 2025) stated that “human rights situation under Dr Mohammed Yunus has deteriorated with over 5,00,000 political opponents facing criminal cases, 348 journalists targeted, 21 Supreme Court and High Court judges removed through protests of the Anti Discrimination Students Movement (ASDM), dissolution of the NHRC, increased attacks on indigenous peoples and religious minorities with over 2,000 cases in August 2024 alone dismissed as ‘politically motivated’ attacks, and most importantly, the weaponisation of the ADSM for carrying out the tasks illegally which cannot be done by the Interim Government legally”.
Considering a stable elected government in Bangladesh is in the interests of both the countries and regional stability, India needs to review its current policy of engagement with Dr Yunus and take a firm decision to disengage or downgrade diplomatic relations with the illegal Interim Government headed by Dr Yunus. India’s interests are completely different from those who are not immediate neighbours of Bangladesh. Unless India reviews its ongoing policy of engaging with the illegal Interim Government, not only India’s interests will be severely harmed, it would be impossible for the religious minorities, hill tribes of the Chittagong Hill Tracts and opponents (both political and merely liberal) to exist/survive in Bangladesh. These implications are hard to imagine, and these are not matters of conjectures but realities of the day.
The RRAG therefore requests Your Honours to take necessary measures for a possible cabinet decision on disengaging with the illegal Interim Government of Bangladesh till till a new elected government comes to power in Dhaka.
With kind regards,
Yours sincerely
Suhas Chakma
Director
[1]. Bangladesh High Court clears path to restore caretaker govt system, Doordarshan, 17 December 2024, https://ddnews.gov.in/en/bangladesh-high-court-clears-path-to-restore-caretaker-govt-system/
[2]. Yunus and Tarique meet in London; joint press briefing held, The Daily Star, 13 June 2025, https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/news/yunus-and-tarique-meet-london-joint-press-briefing-held-3915956
[3]. Seven-member National Consensus Commission formed, Prof Yunus made chair, The Business Standard, 13 February 2025, https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/seven-member-national-consenus-commission-formed-prof-yunus-made-chair-1067841
[4]. Govt launches probe into last 3 national polls, The Daily Star, 27 June 2025, https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/governance/news/govt-launches-probe-last-3-national-polls-3926446
[5]. Bangladesh: Organised murder for membership to the Awami League and its affiliate organisations, Rights and Risks Analysis Group, 6 June 2025, https://www.rightsrisks.org/press-release/press-release-bangladesh-at-least-123-awami-league-members-victims-of-targeted-murder-under-dr-yunus-regime-including-41-being-hacked-to-death-in-taliban-style/
[6]. Bangladesh: Press Freedom Throttled Under Dr Muhammad Yunus, Rights and Risks Analysis Group, 3 May 2025, https://www.rightsrisks.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Bangladesh-Press-Freedom-Throttled-Under-Dr-Mohammed-Yunus.pdf
[7]. Bangladesh: The Case for Establishing OHCHR Field Office, Rights & Risks Analysis Group, 7 February 2025, https://www.rightsrisks.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/BANGLADESH-establishingOHCHROffice.pdf
