Bangladesh being pushed toward destruction by radical forces: former minister Mohammad Ali Arafat

New Delhi [India], January 2 (ANI): Former Information minister of Bangladesh and senior Awami League leader, Mohammad Ali Arafat, has leveled serious allegations against the current interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus, claiming that the country is being pushed toward "complete destruction" by radical Islamist forces.
In an exclusive interaction with ANI, Arafat expressed grave concern over the escalating violence against minorities, the "rigged" nature of upcoming polls, and the alleged influence of the ISI in dismantling the democratic fabric of Bangladesh.
Arafat highlighted a pattern of systemic violence targeting the Hindu community and other minority groups.
"We have seen this before; they attack the homes, businesses, and even the establishments of Hindus. They don't want to have a society where everyone lives peacefully. They want to destroy every other community and are attacking shrines. They want to be the only ones existing," he said. He emphasized that until democracy is restored, these "atrocities" will continue unabated.
The former minister dismissed the upcoming elections as a "one-sided, predetermined contest" among right-wing and Islamist forces. He alleged that the interim government is facilitating a power transfer to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami under the direction of Rawalpindi.
"There's no real need for outside interference in this vote because it's rigged. With Yunus in power, serving the interests of Pakistani military intelligence and the ISI, this election will simply return power to the same group led by BNP and Jamaat," Arafat claimed.
He further added, "The ISI and Pakistani military intelligence are actively shaping Bangladeshi politics... trying to erase parties, institutions, media, and culture that uphold the values of 1971 and a constructive relationship with India. They are attempting to replicate in Bangladesh what their establishment has done in Pakistan."
Reflecting on the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government, Arafat termed the events of July 2024 as a "full-scale insurgency" by ideological descendants of the 1971 collaborators.
"These people have grudges and reservations against the Awami League and India because we defeated them in 1971. They are attacking cultural institutions, Ahmadiyyas, Christians, and anything they find going against their Islamist ideas," he stated.
Following the demise of Khaleda Zia and the return of Tarique Rahman, Arafat maintained that the political trajectory of the BNP remains unchanged.
"We express condolences on her [Khaleda Zia's] demise... but with Tarique Rahman's return, I don't see anything different happening. Everyone participating in the election with them has a similar ideology. It is going to be an internal election," he noted, adding that the Awami League remains the party of the majority.
Concluding his remarks, Arafat struck a defiant note regarding the future of the nation: "Awami League led the nation to independence, and we will not allow Bangladesh to become an 'East Pakistan' again. Our policy and diplomacy must be framed through the lens of 1971, not the lens of the ISI." (ANI)