Bangladesh In ‘Total Mobocracy’: Ex-Indian Diplomat Alleges Pakistan Role Amid Massive Unrest

Last Updated:December 19, 2025, 16:17 IST

Veena Sikri said Bangladesh is currently being run by an “illegal” administration that lacks constitutional authority to conduct elections.

A Hindu youth was brutally lynched by Islamists in Bangladesh over alleged blasphemy.

As Bangladesh remains on edge amid violent protests triggered by the death of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi, former Indian diplomat Veena Sikri launched a sharp attack on the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, describing the situation as a case of “total mobocracy".

Veena Sikri said Bangladesh is currently being run by an “illegal" administration that lacks constitutional authority to conduct elections.

“This is a total mobocracy functioning in Bangladesh. First of all, it is not a constitutional government. It is an illegal government and has no authority or right to conduct elections," she said.

The former diplomat alleged that the political transition following the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina was engineered with Jamaat-e-Islami at its core, with backing from Pakistan and other external actors.

“The entire regime change operation was done with the Jamaat-e-Islami of Dhaka in charge. It was conducted by Pakistan with the support of external forces," she claimed, adding, “The Jamaat thought they would be able to get a majority. But what Muhammad Yunus has done in the last 18 months has made the people very unhappy."

Veena Sikri also criticised efforts to blame India for the violence without evidence, pointing to the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi.

“As part of the election campaign, one of their people was shot- Osman Hadi. Within seconds of the shooting, they started blaming India without any inquiry, nothing," she said.

Reiterating New Delhi’s position, Veena Sikri said India had conveyed to the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi that only “free, fair, inclusive and participatory elections" would be acceptable.

“Without credible elections, the people of Bangladesh are not going to accept the outcome. There must be a proper caretaker government," she added.

Her remarks come as the interim government of Muhammad Yunus appealed for calm, urging citizens to reject mob violence and blaming the unrest on “a few fringe elements". In a statement, the government said it “strongly and unequivocally" condemned violence, intimidation, arson and destruction of property, warning that the country’s democratic transition must not be derailed by those “who thrive on chaos and reject peace".

The protests have seen widespread attacks on media institutions, with offices of The Daily Star, Prothom Alo and New Age vandalised and set ablaze. The interim government also condemned the lynching of a Hindu man, Dipu Chandra Das, in Mymensingh district over alleged blasphemy.

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