West Misread Bangladesh, Empowered Radicals After Hasina's Ouster: Rao

• Former Foreign Secretary Nirupama Menon Rao states the West misjudged Bangladesh, treating it like Denmark, leading to instability after Sheikh Hasina's removal.
• Rao argues the West overlooked Bangladesh's fragile state and violent Islamist history, focusing narrowly on Hasina's democratic flaws without context.
• The West erred by not recognizing Hasina as a stabilizer against groups like Jamaat-e-Islami and overestimating the 'democratic opposition'.
• Her ouster created a power vacuum, empowering street power, radicals, and violent religious forces instead of fostering pluralism.
• Recent violence, including attacks on Indian diplomatic property and media, highlights the current instability following Hasina's removal and Muhammad Yunus's rise.

Why It Matters: Western misjudgment of Bangladesh's political reality empowered radicals, leading to instability post-Sheikh Hasina.