Yunus slips into China’s deep pocket |
In politics, symbolism is never accidental. Leaders may claim innocence, coincidence, or logistical necessity, but the choices they make—what they touch, where they go, whom they stand beside—speak louder than any press release. In recent weeks, Muhammad Yunus has offered Bangladesh a masterclass in how symbolism can curdle into recklessness. The misuse of an Indian-donated ICU ambulance for political campaigning, followed by the conspicuous involvement of China’s ambassador in a politically sensitive region, is not merely tone-deaf. It is alarming. And it risks pushing Bangladesh into a geopolitical cul-de-sac from which recovery will be costly.
Start with the ambulance.The ICU van gifted by India was intended for one purpose: saving lives in a country chronically short of advanced medical facilities. Bangladesh is not Switzerland; it does not enjoy surplus healthcare capacity. For millions, access to emergency care is the difference between life and death. To divert such a vehicle for a political campaign is not a minor protocol breach. It is an insult—first to the donor, but more importantly to the poor Bangladeshis who were meant to benefit from it. This was not a neutral asset repurposed for convenience. It was a lifeline converted into a billboard.
History is unforgiving to leaders who treat public welfare as a prop. From Perón’s Argentina to Mobutu’s Zaire, the pattern is familiar: when leaders instrumentalize state resources for political theater, institutions erode and trust evaporates. Yunus’s defenders may argue that no patient was harmed in that moment. But ethics are not measured only by immediate casualties. They are measured by intent and precedent. Today an ambulance; tomorrow,........