Dhaka: Bangladeshi economist and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus expressed disappointment over India’s response to the ongoing student protests in Bangladesh. He warned that the turmoil could spill over to neighbouring countries.
“When India says it’s internal affairs, it hurts me. If there is a fire in the brother’s house, how can I say it is an internal affair? Diplomacy has a much richer vocabulary than saying it is their internal affair,” Yunus told The Indian Express.
Last month, India declined to comment on violent protests against government job quotas in Bangladesh. “We see this as an internal matter of Bangladesh,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a regular media briefing.
Muhammad Yunus added that if unrest is occurring in Bangladesh, where 17 crore people are in conflict, youth are being killed by government forces, and law and order are deteriorating, it is clear that the situation will not stay contained within Bangladesh’s borders and will affect neighbouring countries.
Yunus is known for his microfinance work, lifting lakhs out of poverty. However, he has faced opposition from prime minister Sheikh Hasina who has accused him of “sucking blood” from the poor. He was recently indicted in a corruption case, which his supporters say is politically motivated.
