There is hypocrisy written all over in Bangladesh which is under the regime of Muhammad Yunus. Set to turn into an Islamic Republic very soon, Bangladesh is also staring at one of its worst economic crisis.
Since the Yunus led interim government took over following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina six months back, there have been a series of investigations relating to corruption and excessive use of the law. If one follows these investigations closely, it would not be wrong to say that the Yunus government has acted very selectively. HIs primary target has been the members of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League.
Hypocrisy galore
When the Yunus government took over, it promised that it would root out corruption from the country. However the investigations clearly show that the Yunus government has been selective when it comes to investigations relating to corruption and embezzlement.
When the investigations began, it was found that 461 Bangladeshis owned properties in Dubai. The Yunus government has solely focused on investigating members of the Awami League and are digging deep to find out how they managed to buy such lavish properties in Dubai.
However, there are glaring omissions in the investigations where such investigations are concerned. Take the case of Mehreen Sarah Mansur. She is based out of Dubai, lives a lavish lifestyle. Her social media accounts are filled with posts of her posing with the who is who in Dubai. She sports expensive handbags and wears highly priced clothes.
The source of income is unclear, but the Yunus government has not meted out the same treated as it has to the members of the Awami League who are all on the radar for cases of corruption. The only explanation one could find as to why Mehreen gets away is considering who her father is. She is the daughter of Ahsan Mansur, who is the newly appointed head of the country’s central bank. He was put in charge of this role by Muhammad Yunus who prides himself on being one of the best economists.
Mehreen says that she runs the Watchers Foundation, which provides education, healthcare and food to underprivileged children. However, the organisation has been dormant since 2023 and its Facebook page suggests that.
Double standards
While the likes of Mehreen get away globe-trotting and attending lavish parties, the people of Bangladesh have had to bear the brunt of the economic policies of the new interim government.
Inflation is soaring in Bangladesh since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina. While his daughter lives life king size, her father Ahsan Mansur in his capacity as the head of the Central Bank has hiked interest rates to above 12 per cent.
Questions are now being asked by the people who grappling with a dying economy. They want to know why they have to bear the brunt of such high interests when the likes of Mehreen live lavish lifestyles. They also ask why they have to tighten their purse strings when Ahsan Mansur lives in a three-storey farmhouse made of glass and steel.
This is clearly not in line with what Muhammad Yunus had promised. When a Nobel laureate for economics is tasked with heading the country, one would have expected that the economy would boom. However, Yunus has been catering more towards the radical Islamist and the ISI. The interim government is quick to criticise Sheikh Hasina and poses as though it is a bundle of virtues. However, the Mehreen case is just one example of how much double standards is at play in Bangladesh.
More crisis on the cards
The problems for Bangladesh are far from over. It has made friends with Pakistan which should be the last country that speaks on economics. There are plenty of jokes circulating on the internet where Pakistan has very often been referred to as the nation with a begging bowl. What it did to itself, it would do to Bangladesh as Yunus has decided to ride with the Jihadis.
This summer is expected to be a hot one for Dhaka. The country could face one of its worst power crisis this summer since Bangladesh is unable to pay the electricity bills. Power shortage will lead to more economic problems for the country which is already grappling with a money crisis.
The Bangladesh Power Development Board currently has a debt of Tk 43,473 crore. This has led to the Bangladesh Independent Power Producers Association to caution that if the government may face a power shortfall of 3,500 to 4,000 megawatts in power generation.
The looming doom where the economy is concerned even prompted Yunus to meet with Alex Soros the son of US billionaire George Soros. The meeting also came in the wake of the Donald Trump administration pausing all foreign aid, including to Bangladesh.
“The Open Society Foundations leadership on Wednesday met Chief Adviser to discuss Bangladesh’s efforts to rebuild the economy, trace siphoned-off assets, combat misinformation, and carry out vital economic reforms,” Yunus’ office said in a post following the meeting.
The meeting with Soros junior is interesting as his father has been accused of spending billions to run false narratives in various countries. The change of regime in Bangladesh had sparked allegations of the deep-state being involved.
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