New Delhi, Feb 5 : When Muhammad Yunus was installed as the caretaker of the interim government in Bangladesh, he was accused by many of being a foreign agent. His actions over the last year and a half have proved all those allegations right as he has opened the country heavily to Pakistan and China.

However, what many missed was a long-term game that Yunus has been playing with the help of foreign agencies, and that is to cling to power even after the elections are over. One of the first decisions he made was to ban the Awami League, headed by Sheikh Hasina, following her ouster.

The Awami League, which is barred from contesting the elections, has called the decision unfair. The party has scores of cadres and supporters who have constantly indulged in street battles with members of the Jamaat-e-Islami and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The violence is not dying down and is expected to continue even after the elections.

Further, Yunus has struck a deal with the Jamaat-e-Islami that he would be made president if the party wins the elections. In order to ensure this, Yunus has made several concessions to the Jamaat so that it can have a winning chance in the elections.

Yunus, who has the backing of the ISI, has ensured that several terrorists, radical elements and criminals have been released from jail. These persons are unleashed on the streets, and they have been indulging in violent incidents that include kidnapping, murder and extortion.

For Yunus to become President is very important for the ISI, an official said. If the violence persists even after the elections, which there is every chance that it will, the President will use the power under the Constitution to assume charge of the country. Article 141A of the Bangladesh Constitution says that the President can assume emergency powers. This is similar to what Pakistan has in its Constitution and has been used to install hybrid regimes in the past. Bangladesh has witnessed this in 1975, 1981 and 2007, and the chances of the President using this power are not being ruled out by the experts who follow Bangladesh.

If the BNP comes to power, then the going may not be easy for Yunus. The BNP would not want him to be President, unless the party can be influenced by foreign forces. Intelligence Bureau officials say that from what they see of Bangladesh, violence will not stop even after the elections. The rivalry between the BNP and Jamaat is very intense following the return of Tarique Rahman, the son of the late Khaleda Zia. Either party would indulge in large-scale violence, and this would give the President the opportunity to invoke the emergency powers.

Adding to the already violent situation would be the Awami League workers, who would want the elections to be declared null and void. Yunus has also ensured that he is protected from all legal consequences, even if his plans do not go through. The Sheikh Hasina government had initiated several cases against him and institutions linked to him -- the Grameen Bank and Grameen Telecom.

The allegations ranged from embezzlement of worker welfare funds, tax evasion, misuse of foreign income and violations of labour laws. It was found that large sums of money had been diverted without prior consent. These cases, including the ones against Yunus concerning the violation of labour laws, were proceeding smoothly until Hasina was at the helm. Today, the cases have been stalled under Yunus. By stalling these cases, Yunus has tried re-shaping his image.

An official said that Yunus would have never announced elections and would have preferred to remain at the helm for a couple of years more. However, he decided to announce elections as any further delay would have damaged his image.

Bangladesh watchers say that Yunus has managed to make a mess of the country. He has done everything in his power to try to ensure that he remains at the helm even after the elections are over. In the days to come, Yunus would use all that he has in his hand to ensure a Jamaat victory so that he could become president, the experts say.

Another official explained that cleaning the mess in the country is a hard task, and India has to ensure that it has its territory secured. There is a rebellion within the BNP as many want an alliance with the Jamaat. If the top BNP leadership caves in and allies with the Jamaat, then there would be no better situation for Yunus to become President of Bangladesh, officials also say.

/IANS