OPED: Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury
The United States has spent hundreds of millions of dollars implementing its vicious ‘color revolution’ strategy in targeted nations, aiming to turn them into subservient states.
This strategy often results in chaos, instability, and even war, ultimately benefiting Western military-industrial enterprises. However, in recent times, particularly in Bangladesh, Washington’s regime change plot has inadvertently created immense opportunities for one of its key rivals – China.
Following a meticulously orchestrated jihadist coup in Bangladesh on August 5, 2025, which resulted in the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and an abrupt end to her 15-year rule, Donald Trump, during his election campaign, condemned the situation.
On October 31, 2024, he tweeted: “I strongly condemn the barbaric violence against Hindus, Christians, and other minorities who are being attacked and looted by mobs in Bangladesh, which remains in a total state of chaos. This would have never happened on my watch. Kamala and Joe have ignored Hindus across the world and in America. They have been a disaster from Israel to Ukraine to our own Southern Border. But we will Make America Strong Again and bring back Peace through Strength…”
Although President Trump assumed office on January 20, 2025, the brutal atrocities against Hindus, Christians, and religious minorities in Bangladesh have not ceased. Moreover, Washington has neither taken action nor issued a warning regarding these developments.
Instead, on March 28, 2025, the US State Department announced that on April 1, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and First Lady Melania Trump would host the annual International Women of Courage (IWOC) Awards ceremony at the Department of State.
Among the honorees was the Women Student Protest Leaders of Bangladesh, a group that had been financially supported by the US Deep State.
The announcement from the US State Department stated: “A valiant group of women were key drivers in the student protest movement against violent repression in Bangladesh in July-August 2024. They demonstrated extraordinary bravery, standing between security forces and male protestors despite threats and violence. When their male counterparts were arrested, these women found innovative ways to continue communication and lead the protests, defying censorship efforts even during the complete shutdown of the internet. Their bravery and selflessness amid uncertainty epitomized true courage”.
The most surprising aspect of this situation is that just months ago, Donald Trump criticized the Biden administration’s regime change plot in Bangladesh, stating that Biden and Kamala Harris had pushed the country into a “total state of chaos.”
Now, however, Trump’s own administration is honoring the very individuals who acted as mercenaries for the US Deep State in executing the regime change plot. This plot has ultimately placed Bangladesh in the hands of Islamists and jihadists under the leadership of Muhammad Yunus.
Most notably, despite Trump’s presidential victory on November 5, 2024, Muhammad Yunus, a well-known Trump critic, is diligently advancing the agendas set by Biden, the Clintons, and Soros while entirely disregarding Trump. Over the past several months, large business contracts worth billions of dollars have been awarded to companies linked to the Clintons and Soros.
Furthermore, during his recent
Meanwhile, recognizing Trump’s inability to take immediate action in Bangladesh due to America’s dire economic conditions and unresolved domestic crises – including the illegal migration issue – Yunus is positioning himself as another Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini or Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Under his rule, Islamist and jihadist elements, including Al Qaeda, Islamic State (ISIS), Hizb ut-Tahrir, Hefazat-e-Islam, and Hamas, have intensified their brutalities against Hindus, Christians, ethnic minorities, and secular groups in Bangladesh.
Muhammad Yunus, an unabashed Islamofascist, has not hesitated to publicly discuss how he has leveraged the influence of UN Secretary-General António Guterres to suppress critical coverage in global print and electronic media.
On March 25, 2025, during a national address, Muhammad Yunus openly admitted that he had sought the UN Secretary-General’s assistance in preventing the “spread of rumors and false information” about his regime. Yunus stated: “Everyone knows who is behind these rumors and why. We have sought the cooperation of the United Nations to prevent the spread of these rumors and false information. The UN Secretary-General has assured us of his cooperation in dealing with this”.
According to a highly placed source, during António Guterres’ visit to Bangladesh, Yunus’ office handed over a list of several Indian TV channels, news agencies, and newspapers, requesting that the UN exert pressure on these media outlets to remove any content criticizing him or his administration.
Additionally, Yunus urged Guterres to influence Google, the parent company of YouTube, to delete content critical of Bangladesh’s current regime and Muhammad Yunus. He also requested that Google impose shadow bans or limit the reach of Indian media outlets covering stories about his administration.
Commenting on Muhammad Yunus’ policies, his continuous human rights violations, and his support for terrorism, Dr. Michael Rubin – a former Pentagon official and senior fellow at both the American Enterprise Institute and the Middle East Forum, told the author in an exclusive interview:
“The problem with Muhammad Yunus is that by embracing terror, he is going down a dangerous path. He is pouring gasoline on a fire. It’s not just about Yunus supporting Hamas, Hezbollah, Jamaat-e-Islami, Lashkar-e-Taiba, or Al Qaeda; the real issue is that he is endangering the entire region. When it comes to foreign policy, Yunus may embrace China, but someone needs to ask whether his actions truly benefit the people of Bangladesh. Take a look at Pakistan, which, due to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, is now burdened with over $38 billion in debt. Sri Lanka and the Maldives are facing similar situations – the Maldives increasingly leaning toward Islamism and Sri Lanka becoming a Chinese satellite state. It is astonishing how one man could sell out Bangladesh’s freedom and democracy so quickly. The only question that remains is whether Muhammad Yunus is doing this out of ego, greed, or ideology. I suspect it is a combination of all three”.
Failure Of America’s Color Revolution Plot
Beyond Bangladesh, the US’s color revolution strategy has often led to unintended consequences in other nations, creating power vacuums that adversaries such as China and Russia have exploited. One of the most striking examples is Ukraine, where Washington’s support for the 2014 Euromaidan protests and the subsequent ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych deepened the country’s divisions. Instead of securing Ukraine as a stronghold for Western influence, the event paved the way for Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the ongoing conflict in the Donbas region.
A decade later, Ukraine remains embroiled in war, reliant on Western aid, while Russia has strengthened its strategic alliances with China, Iran, and North Korea.
Similarly, in Libya, the US and NATO-backed intervention that led to the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 turned the country into a failed state. The absence of a stable government created a breeding ground for extremist groups, including ISIS and Al Qaeda-affiliated militias. More critically, as Western influence waned, Russia capitalized on the chaos, deploying Wagner Group mercenaries to establish a foothold in the region. Moscow’s growing presence in Libya has allowed it to project power in North Africa and the Mediterranean, directly challenging US and European interests. Today, Moscow holds a firm grip on Libya’s strategic assets.
In Afghanistan, Washington’s two-decade-long effort to establish a democratic government collapsed spectacularly in August 2021 when the Taliban swiftly regained control. The chaotic withdrawal of US forces not only humiliated America on the global stage but also provided strategic opportunities for China.
Beijing has since engaged with the Taliban regime, securing mining rights and strengthening its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) footprint in the region. Meanwhile, Russia and Iran have deepened their engagements with the Taliban, further diminishing US leverage in South Asia. What was once a key battleground for American influence is now slipping into the orbit of its geopolitical rivals.
The Middle East provides another stark example of US intervention misfiring. In Syria, Washington’s attempts to weaken President Bashar al-Assad – by backing various rebel groups – ultimately failed when Russia decisively intervened in 2015. Not only did Assad survive, but Russia expanded its military footprint in the region, establishing permanent bases and increasing its strategic clout.
Simultaneously, Iran leveraged the instability to entrench itself deeper in Syria, strengthening its axis of influence from Tehran to Beirut. Instead of toppling Assad and reshaping the Middle East to its advantage, the US unintentionally facilitated greater Russian and Iranian dominance in the region.
These repeated failures expose the flaws in America’s regime change playbook. Rather than securing allies or expanding democratic governance, these interventions have often produced destabilization, humanitarian crises, and power vacuums that adversaries such as China and Russia are quick to exploit.
The Bangladesh case is just the latest in a long list of US foreign policy miscalculations that have empowered its rivals while eroding Washington’s global standing.
The unintended consequences of America’s ‘color revolution’ strategy are becoming increasingly evident, as seen in Bangladesh’s swift shift toward China’s influence. Instead of securing American interests, Washington’s regime change agenda has inadvertently empowered geopolitical rivals and extremist forces, creating long-term instability.
The case of Bangladesh is not an isolated incident – it is a pattern that has played out in other nations where US-backed interventions have failed, strengthening adversarial powers. As America continues to engage in political engineering abroad, it must recognize that short-term gains can lead to long-term strategic losses, ultimately diminishing its global standing while emboldening its competitors.
- Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury is an internationally acclaimed multi-award-winning journalist, writer, research-scholar, and Editor, Blitz. He regularly writes for local and international newspapers. Follow him on X: Salah_Shoaib
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