From hunting minorities to now harassing women: Yunus’s Bangladesh plummets into darkness

The political upheaval in Bangladesh since mid-2024 has shaken the nation’s democratic foundations and intensified its ideological divisions. Muhammad Yunus, once globally celebrated for pioneering microfinance, is now at the center of an increasingly volatile transition to a new government. Ever since Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, Yunus’s tenure has been marked by rising Islamic jihad activity, the growing influence of pro-Sharia factions, and disturbing instances of communal and gender-based violence. Initially welcomed as a transitional figure, Yunus soon showed himself to be an enabler of Islamic elements in the country, and has steadfastly refused to take any stance against increasing Islamic intolerance against Hindus and other non-Muslim groups. The interim government’s tacit alliances with Islamic groups such as Hefazat-e-Islam and Jamaat-e-Islami, ostensibly to maintain peace and appease the protestors, took the country further down the path toward full implementation of Sharia.

One of the most alarming changes under Yunus’s watch was the drastic shift toward the Islamization of public life. Not that Bangladesh was in any way, shape, or form close to secularism or inclusivity during the rule of Hasina, either. It was always just another Muslim-majority country hunting for opportunities to attack the marginalized sections of the society and shame women for not being “modest” enough, but with the celebrated Nobel Laureate assuming power, all the Islamic fangs of Bangladesh’s majority were displaying themselves unapologetically, and violently so.

Religious minorities, particularly Hindus, have borne the brunt of the move toward full implementation of Islamic law. Between August and October 2024, over 2,000 incidents of communal violence were documented by human rights organizations. Muslim mobs attacked Hindu temples, vandalized idols, and burned down houses. Entire villages reported being forced to flee under the threat of violence.

A report from the UN Human Rights Office in early 2025 stated that the scale and coordination of these attacks suggest complicity or deliberate inaction on the part of local authorities. Despite this, Yunus has refrained from explicitly condemning the violence, merely referring to it as “regrettable unrest.”

After the Muslim crowds had terrorized Hindu neighborhoods, they turned toward “immodest” women. Women came under attack for not conforming to Islamic dress codes. Social media has been flooded with videos of women being harassed in public spaces for wearing Western-style clothing, or for not wearing the hijab.

In a widely circulated video, a young woman was attacked near a university campus in Rajshahi for wearing jeans and a t-shirt. No arrests were made, despite public outrage.

The enforcement of these informal “moral codes” appears to be carried out by self-appointed vigilantes, many of whom have ties to Islamic student and clerical groups. In several cases, police either stood by or discouraged victims from filing complaints.

Numerous women across the country have reported incidents of harassment occurring in public spaces such as streets, markets, and tourist destinations. The abuse has ranged from sexist slurs and verbal abuse to restrictions on their freedom of movement and, in more severe instances, physical and sexual assaults.

Shaila Bithi, a well-known mountaineer from Bangladesh, was assaulted in broad daylight by a group of men while using a pedestrian bridge in Dhanmondi, resulting in multiple injuries. Veteran journalist Jharna Roy recounted being publicly shamed for not wearing a headscarf while dining with her family at a street-side eatery. In Cox’s Bazar, several women were harassed and assaulted, with disturbing footage of the incidents circulating widely online. A young schoolgirl expressed fear over the lack of any visible police presence, saying it made her feel unsafe and silenced her voice.

One woman said she was mocked for wearing a bindi, a symbol commonly linked to Hindu identity, while another recalled being criticized for not donning a burqa during a job interview. Many others have reported being stalked. Social media platforms have seen a surge of women coming forward with similar stories, sharing their encounters with Muslims who made lewd remarks and engaged in verbal aggression, as well as other forms of public harassment.

Women’s rights have seen a steep decline since the shift in political winds. Female university students report being pressured to adopt the hijab, while some campuses now unofficially segregate male and female students in cafeterias and dormitories.

The resurgence of Islamic influence is not accidental. Groups such as Hefazat-e-Islam have found newfound political leverage, often holding mass rallies demanding Sharia-based governance and stricter controls on “anti-Islamic” behavior. Thousands of pages on various platforms of social media are using their massive reach to propagate Islamic teachings, including hatred for the kaffir and the idea that women are lesser beings. Islamic leaders are also invited to appear on state-run television channels, influencing public discourse.

In 2024, a religious rally in Narayanganj, attended by hundreds of thousands of followers, called for the death penalty for blasphemy and a national law mandating the burqa. While these calls were not officially adopted, no action was taken to curtail such incitement, raising fears of growing Taliban-style governance.

The failure of Muhammad Yunus’s interim government to curb pro-jihad and pro-Sharia elements and protect vulnerable communities threatens to undo the little social progress made in Bangladesh by means of aid provided by global agencies during the previous regime.

For many citizens, especially women and minorities, the fabric of everyday life is now interwoven with fear of judgment, violence, and erasure. The future of Bangladesh depends not only on restoring democratic order through elections, but also on reaffirming the values of pluralism, tolerance, and freedom of expression. Yunus now faces widespread criticism for enabling jihad and failing to protect minorities. His tacit alliances with hardline groups such as Hefazat-e-Islam have sparked nationwide protests, particularly from secular activists, women’s rights organizations, and Hindu communities. With repeated temple attacks, forced dress codes, and harassment of women fueling public anxiety, Yunus is accused of betraying democratic ideals. To say that the days of his reign are numbered and that he could also be ousted through a similar protest that led to the fall of Hasina’s dispensation would not be entirely untrue.