The spectacle of Muhammad Yunus rolling out the red carpet for Leyla and Arzu Aliyeva (the scandal-stained daughters of Azerbaijan’s authoritarian president) would have been baffling even in calmer times. But in a moment when Bangladesh is already navigating a political transition, diplomatic scrutiny, and a fragile economic environment, the entire affair feels like a self-inflicted wound. And like most wounds that nations suffer, this one was enabled not by foreign adversaries but by the judgment, or misjudgment, of domestic actors who should have known better.

For decades, Bangladesh fought hard to project itself as a country that overcame poverty, instability, and corruption to become a responsible member of the global community. One reckless meeting is not enough to erase those gains, but it certainly stains the country’s reputation at a moment when such reputational damage is the last thing Dhaka can afford.

The core of the issue is not simply that Yunus met two foreign dignitaries. Diplomacy allows for many such contacts, some constructive, some ceremonial. The real scandal lies in who these visitors are, what they represent, and why Yunus and his circle chose to legitimize them. The Aliyeva sisters are not benign philanthropists. They are the public faces of a dynasty long implicated in corruption, offshore laundering networks, and influence-buying across Europe. Their presence in Dhaka is not simply unusual. It is alarming.

Let’s start with the optics, because in diplomacy optics often reveal motives long before official statements do. Yunus proudly posted on Facebook that the sisters were in town to discuss humanitarian and environmental initiatives—phrases that often serve as the polite diplomacy of choice for people hoping others won’t ask probing questions. Yet what stole........

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