Bangladesh is entering one of the most dangerous phases of its history. At the center of this looming crisis is the unelected regime of Muhammad Yunus, which is presenting itself abroad as democratic and reformist while systematically dismantling the country’s defense and intelligence structure.

Behind the veneer of Nobel fame and global endorsements lies a far darker reality: Yunus’ growing alignment with Islamist radicals, foreign actors, and transnational networks that aim to transform Bangladesh into a hub for jihadist operations. If successful, this project would not only destroy Bangladesh’s sovereignty but also destabilize South Asia and export militancy across the globe.

Façade of reform, the reality of capture

Yunus’ image as a global humanitarian has shielded him from meaningful scrutiny. His ties with influential figures in Washington, Brussels, and London – from the Clinton Foundation to George Soros’ networks – give him legitimacy abroad. Domestically, however, his administration is empowering Islamist elements, suppressing secular voices, and hollowing out state institutions.

The real project is clear: dismantle the secular Bangladesh Army and the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), and replace them with an Iranian-style Islamic Revolutionary Army (IRA) controlled by ideologues loyal to jihadist politics. Such a shift would institutionalize extremism inside the state and create a new sanctuary for transnational terrorism.

Borrowing Erdoğan’s model of repression

The Yunus regime is increasingly mirroring Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s authoritarian tactics. Dozens of journalists face fabricated charges, independent media outlets are censored or co-opted, while Islamist propagandists enjoy unchecked freedom.

International watchdogs note a troubling trend: secular critics are punished while extremist groups linked to Al Qaeda, ISIS, Hizb ut-Tahrir, and Hamas are expanding their activities – in some cases, under state patronage.

The case of Jashimuddin Rahmani, the cleric behind Ansar Al-Islam, illustrates the danger. He openly encouraged killing secular writers and even American citizens. Yet Yunus’ regime permits such radicals to operate with impunity, while Western rights groups maintain a silence that amounts to complicity.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran: a triangle of risks

The geopolitical backdrop further complicates the picture. Saudi Arabia’s growing defense alignment with Pakistan introduces a dangerous variable. Riyadh has historically funded Pakistan’s nuclear ambitions, and speculation grows that it may now seek protection under Islamabad’s “nuclear umbrella”.

Yet Pakistan is no reliable partner. Its decades-long ties with Tehran make it a possible gateway for Iranian infiltration into the Kingdom. Worse, Pakistan’s military-intelligence complex thrives on exporting instability. Just as Pakistan helped destabilize Afghanistan, it could drag Saudi Arabia into similar chaos, undermining the monarchy itself.

At the same time, Pakistan - a country grappling with acute economic crises - may push the Kingdom toward the fate of Afghanistan, where Pakistan’s infiltration ultimately turned the country into a rogue state and epicenter of Islamist terror. Furthermore, this development could mark the beginning of a silent regime change plot that might one day end monarchism and create an atmosphere of anarchy and chaos. With these troubling prospects in mind, Saudi Arabia and its ruling elites may well have committed a historic blunder - one that could spell the beginning of the end of a century of monarchism in the Kingdom.

For Islamabad - crippled by economic crises - mere financial perks from Riyadh will not suffice. Instead, Islamabad is likely to push the Kingdom into an alarming situation by collaborating with Islamists and jihadists, while simultaneously increasing the threats from Iran by secretly providing Tehran with sensitive information about Saudi Arabia.

Moreover, Pakistan’s military-intelligence establishment thrives on exporting instability. In time, it could push Saudi Arabia towards the fate of Afghanistan - an arena of Islamist chaos where Pakistan was the chief manipulator. The monarchy may have unwittingly paved the way for its own destabilization.

Dhaka’s deepening ties with Islamabad under Yunus only add to this dangerous mix. The ISI views Bangladesh as a potential launchpad for cross-border terrorism into India, while Washington sees the country as a pawn in its competition with China over Myanmar. In this volatile chessboard, Bangladesh risks becoming the sacrificial ground for competing regional and global agendas.

Why Army and DGFI are under attack

The Bangladesh Army and DGFI have long been the main bulwark against Islamist militancy. They dismantled the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), crushed Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), and neutralized outfits like HuJI-B, Ansar Al-Islam, and Hizb ut-Tahrir – most of which were nurtured by Pakistan’s ISI.

For India, DGFI’s success has been a shield against infiltration in its northeast. For Bangladesh, it preserved sovereignty. For Yunus and his Islamist allies, these institutions are therefore the greatest obstacle. Their strategy is simple: discredit the military, prosecute its counterterrorism leadership under bogus “war crimes” charges, and replace the command structure with ideologically loyal cadres.

Already, smear campaigns are being directed against General Waker Uz Zaman, the Army Chief, accusing him of bias and duplicity. At the same time, there are attempts to isolate the Bangladesh Armed Forces from UN peacekeeping missions, depriving them of international credibility and revenue.

Schizophrenic propaganda 

The regime’s disinformation campaigns are carefully choreographed. Former DGFI officers are being tried as “criminals”, while Yunus’ supporters brand the military as untrustworthy. This propaganda is designed to fracture public trust and erode international support for Bangladesh’s armed forces.

Simultaneously, Yunus’ propagandists are spreading schizophrenic disinformation against Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker Uz Zaman, painting him as biased and deceptive. The goal is clear: erode public trust in the Army, sack the current leadership, and replace Bangladesh’s armed forces with an Iranian-style Islamist corps.

Meanwhile, Islamist networks are being granted unprecedented space. Madrassas, radical charities, and extremist preachers operate with freedom, while taxpayers’ money is funneled into initiatives that indirectly strengthen jihadist structures.

Regional and global fallout

If Yunus succeeds in crippling the Army and DGFI, the consequences will be catastrophic.

For India: porous borders will be flooded with militants. West Bengal and Assam will face renewed insurgency. Pakistan-backed groups will gain footholds across the eastern frontier.

For South Asia: Sri Lanka and Nepal could see jihadist infiltration, with extremist networks exploiting their fragile politics.

For the West: Bangladesh could evolve into a logistics hub for transnational jihadist networks, linking Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East. The Hamas massacre of October 7, orchestrated from Doha, showed how quickly permissive havens can produce global shocks. A radicalized Bangladesh would be even more dangerous.

Yunus’ real agenda: perpetuating an unelected regime

While Yunus frequently speaks of “constitutional reform” and “democratization,” his true intention is to prolong his unelected rule by indefinitely postponing general elections. His rhetoric masks an authoritarian project: weaken democratic institutions, co-opt foreign backers, and secure absolute control through Islamist patronage.

The danger extends beyond domestic repression. Yunus’ policies are creating avenues for foreign intelligence services and jihadist networks to hijack Bangladesh’s sovereignty. This would turn the country into a launching pad for militancy, narcotics trade, and destabilization across Asia – and ultimately into Europe and North America.

The global imperative

Bangladesh’s crisis is not a domestic issue. It is part of a wider Islamist coup blueprint that could engulf South Asia and ripple into the West. Allowing Yunus to weaken the Army and DGFI would repeat the historic mistakes made in Afghanistan – where the world looked away until it was too late.

India, the US, and the EU cannot afford silence. They must expose Yunus’ Islamist project, strengthen Bangladesh’s counterterrorism institutions, and extend support to the country’s armed forces before they are dismantled beyond repair.

If the Army falls into extremist control, reversing the damage will be nearly impossible. The cost will not only be borne by Bangladesh but by every nation threatened by Islamist expansionism.

Bangladesh stands at a knife’s edge. Yunus’ Islamist-driven regime, cloaked in the language of reform, is orchestrating the most dangerous assault on the country’s security in decades. Its outcome will not remain confined to Dhaka. It will destabilize India, threaten the Gulf, embolden jihadists, and export terror into the West.

To dismiss this crisis as merely “Bangladesh’s internal affair” would be a catastrophic miscalculation. The international community must recognize the reality - preventing Bangladesh from being captured by Islamist forces is not just a regional necessity, it is a global security imperative.

(The author is a journalist, writer, and editor of the Blitz. He specializes in counterterrorism and regional geopolitics. Views expressed are personal and not necessarily shared by editors of South Asia Monitor. He can be contacted at salahuddinshoaibchoudhury@yahoo.com, follow him on X: @Salah_Shoaib )