Published: 12:20 AM, 09 April 2026
Did the Nobel Laureate Rule the Country in A No-ball Style?
Dr. Md. Anwar Hossain
Standing at a strange juncture in history, today we have to wonder, did the person who took office with the promise of repairing a town that was crumbling like a house of cards, ultimately turn the country's innings into an exercise in 'no-balls' and 'free-hits'? The dream was sky-high, but standing on the rough ground of reality, today we see only a huge pile of complacency.
When he took over the interim government on the pretext of the so-called 'interest of the country', there was a lot of hope in the eyes of the common people. Dr. Muhammad Yunus—the Nobel laureate, the name around whom people thought of a magical change; yet in the twists of time, he has now retired with the title of former chief advisor and a sigh of relief.
When the newly elected government took the keys to power, they found every mechanism of the state machinery rusty and stagnant. The wounds left by his rule are forcing the country's economy and administration to crumble in such a way that overcoming them has now become a challenge as difficult as conquering the Himalayas.
When the crowd of his own people increases on the balcony of power, the access of the common man is blocked. The investigation has revealed how this former chief advisor created a pocket advisory group by appointing loyalists from the 'rural' circle in all important positions of the state, who were more interested in implementing the agenda of the individual than the state.
When the rule of law is guided by the individual, then justice goes into exile. The legal maneuver he arranged to quickly get rid of the seven cases against him will be marked as a dark chapter in the judgment of morality.
He wanted to model the entire country on his personal NGO. Those subtle tricksters of building a 'rural' state were obsessed with imposing a special corporate-style slavery by restricting the civil rights of the common people.
When the highways fell into the hands of the mob in the name of justice, civilization was defeated. During his rule, this town, which was known as the 'mob's stronghold', became an unwritten constitution rather than legal process.
We have seen the sacred relationship of the teacher and disciple, which is a thousand-year-old tradition of Bengal, being gradually destroyed. Every scene of respected teachers being humiliated by students was painful like a whipping to the conscience of the nation, the responsibility of which the then administration could not avoid.
Dhaka city had become a strange 'city of demands'. Public life was held hostage behind all the immoral and unreasonable assurances, where everything from road discipline to administrative offices was in the hands of slogans.
When unnecessary demands like ‘passing the exam’ are indulged in by pointing the finger at the quality of education, then the future of that nation is bound to be dark. This mentality of getting cheap popularity has destroyed our intellectual structure bit by bit.
While the violence of government red tape is for everyone else, there has been a lot of panic in approving one’s own personal project ‘Rural University’. Here, the files of private institutions have been exempted faster than the most important files of the state.
When the burden of taxes bends the backs of the common people, the ‘Rural Welfare Trust’ has enjoyed special royal tax exemption facilities. Such duplicity of the ruler who talks about public interest is nothing but a cruel joke with the common taxpayers.
Obtaining the license for an e-wallet under the name of ‘Samadhan Services’ was part of a planned blueprint. The state’s power has been shamelessly used to expand its commercial empire by creating unequal competition in the digital transaction market.
While VAT is the main source of state income, ‘Grameen Distribution’ has been deprived of special VAT benefits by giving it. Is this just a benefit, or a legitimate way to transfer money directly from the pockets of the people to its own funds?
The speed shown in obtaining the license for exporting manpower and membership of ‘Baira’ by its own company is comparable to a fairy tale. Where ordinary businessmen have been moving around for years, all obstacles have blown away like camphor with the touch of power.
When the poisonous fumes of mismanagement spread to the health sector, innocent children become the victims. When news of child deaths from preventable diseases like measles make headlines, it is hard to understand that the administration’s attention was focused elsewhere, not on public health.
Instead of going away, the culture of extortion returned in a new form during his tenure. When a group of new extortionists rose up in the face of the political change, the administration seemed to be keeping a tight lid on its mouth.
Was he afraid of being held accountable in front of the public? His tendency to hide behind the chief advisor when journalists waited with questions proves how uncomfortable he felt facing the media.
Although the story of freedom of expression was told, the opposite picture was seen in reality. The arrest of journalists in fake cases and the denial of bail for months was an attempt to create a fearful environment, which shook the fourth pillar of democracy.
Loyalty and personal relationships were the main criteria for appointments rather than merit. As a result, the secretariat became a playground for a special group, where state documents were dealt with like a drawing room chat.
One weapon to paralyze the judicial system was the 'bail ban'. The way the constitutional right to bail has been curtailed to pursue revenge or suppress dissent is a gross violation of human rights.
Despite giving long speeches about the independence of the judiciary, the interference in the court proceedings through the Law Ministry was naked. The allegations of influencing the judicial process to protect the interests of oneself or those of one's choice are crying foul today.
The country has been thrown into a long-term debt trap by accumulating a mountain of foreign debt. Today, the public does not have a clear account of where the money from that debt was spent or whose pockets it went into.
The backbone of the law enforcement forces was broken and the police was rendered ineffective. As a result, criminals ruled with pride, and the common people spent every moment in extreme fear due to lack of security.
The industrial sector is the lifeblood of the economy, but due to mismanagement, about 400 factories closed during his rule. Thousands of workers are unemployed and sitting on the streets, while Dr. Yunus was busy polishing his global image.
Although there was 'pressure' in the international community on the Rohingya issue, the results at the field level were zero. The failure to successfully repatriate even a single Rohingya is a huge testament to his diplomatic failure.
No patriotic citizen can accept the audacity shown to belittle our great liberation war on the pretext of pressing the 'reset button'. This attempt to create a new narrative by erasing the pages of history was suicidal. The way those who rationally protested against the reset button, such as Urmi and other government employees, were humiliated and harassed is the extreme form of fascism within the administration.
In maintaining relations with foreign countries, he maintained an unequal balance of power, where his main goal was to entertain foreign countries by selling out the interests of Bangladesh.
The 'extreme politics' he has practiced under the guise of apolitical sentences is evident through the unconstitutional referendum ordinance and the waste of state funds.
In conclusion, it can be said that by playing 'no-ball' in the name of governance, he has only lowered himself from the position of honor he held as a Nobel laureate, and has gifted the country an uncertain future.
Dr. Md. Anwar Hossain is an
essayist and President of the International Anti-Drug
Organization - Freedom International Anti-Alcohol. He can be reached
