The goals of the July movement in Bangladesh became clearer after August 5. This followed the rise of the Yunus government to power.
Militant prisoners were released from jails. Leaders of the banned terrorist group Hizb-ut-Tahrir were also freed. The group resumed public activities. Their involvement in the movement became evident.
Many young leaders in the Yunus government had ties to banned extremist groups.
Officials in the Yunus government hinted at indirect war against India, with support from Pakistan. Minority persecution increased sharply during this time.
Recently, leading media outlets Prothom Alo and The Daily Star faced threats and attacks. This raised global concerns about freedom of expression in Bangladesh.
Islamic extremists publicly threatened the military. They declared, “Freedom of speech or press will not be allowed in Bangladesh. No action outside fundamentalist views will be tolerated.”
Is Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus leading the country toward an Afghanistan-like scenario? If so, South Asia could face a major conflict.
Key Questions Arise
- What is happening in Bangladesh?
- Who is in control of the country?
Threats against the media have intensified these questions. Extremists gathered outside media offices. They slaughtered cows as a form of intimidation and prepared for attacks.
In response, the government deployed joint forces led by the military. This led to incidents where extremists issued direct threats to the military.