How Yunus repeats Khomeini’s playbook to bring Islamist rule in Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s interim leader Mohammad Yunus mirrors Ayatollah Khomeini’s tactics, speaking of democracy and human rights while consolidating power and undermining genuine pluralism. Despite public claims of justice, Yunus releases Islamist extremists, targets liberals, journalists, and minority communities, and bans the Awami League, the nation’s main political rival. Like Khomeini before his rise, Yunus uses diplomatic rhetoric to mislead the international community, masking an agenda that could entrench Islamist influence and destabilise Bangladesh. Analysts warn that his approach risks creating permanent extremist enclaves, particularly near the Burmese border, while Western observers are urged not to mistake his façade of reform for genuine commitment to democracy.