Bangladesh is once again witnessing a powerful wave of student anger, the same force that changed its political landscape only a few months ago. Universities across the country, from Dhaka to Chittagong, have erupted after the interim government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus reportedly removed the posts of music and physical training teachers in schools, allegedly under pressure from Islamist groups.

Students carrying torches and chanting “You can silence music in schools, not in hearts” have flooded the streets in defence of what they call the soul of Bangladesh’s culture. Reports of explosions, street clashes, and lockdowns in parts of Dhaka have surfaced, fuelling the growing unrest. For many, the protests are not just about one government decision but a larger stand against what they see as the slow Islamisation of state policy under Yunus’s rule.

Amid the outrage, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has accused Yunus of “crushing democracy” and acting as a “front man for extremists” in his government. In an interview with CNN-News18’s Manoj Gupta, Hasina said the world was “slowly waking up” to the reality that Yunus’s global fame as a Nobel-winning economist does not make him a democratic leader. “He is not a symbol of democratic regime change, nor does he command any broad support,” Hasina said, adding that Yunus was “an unelected head of state dismantling the constitution and failing to protect minorities.”

Hasina claimed that sectarian and regressive forces had taken control of the interim government. “His cabinet includes radical extremists,” she alleged, warning that the administration’s policies were weakening Bangladesh’s pluralistic and secular traditions. Many now see the education ministry’s recent decision as proof of her concern.

Ironically, the unrest now threatening the Yunus government mirrors the very student uprising that removed Hasina from power earlier this year. Back then, students had led a movement against what they called her authoritarian rule, demanding reforms and accountability. Their protests swept across the country, eventually forcing Hasina out and bringing Yunus to power as interim Chief Adviser — a move that was widely welcomed by the West and sections of civil society.

But the tide has now turned. As flames of protest rise once again across Dhaka, the same young generation that once fought for Yunus’s rise is now taking to the streets against his administration.