On one hand, the pathways for Bangladeshi students to study abroad are steadily closing. On the other, the illegal government that has seized power has not only failed to take any effective steps on this issue—it has not even expressed the bare minimum of concern. The bloody riots and violence of July 2024, through which the country’s elected government was overthrown in a coup, are now being felt painfully in everyday life by ordinary citizens, especially students.
Australia has directly downgraded Bangladesh from Assessment Level 1 to Level 3. Germany’s ambassador has openly stated that Bangladeshis submit forged documents. The European Union has placed Bangladesh on its list of “safe countries,” meaning that any Bangladeshi seeking asylum will now be summarily deported. Major universities in the United Kingdom have stopped admitting Bangladeshi students. In Italy, 60,000 applications are pending, while in Malta the visa rejection rate for Bangladeshis has crossed 62 percent.
This collapse of the country’s international image did not happen overnight. Since the carefully orchestrated riots of July—marked by foreign funding, the active involvement of militant groups, and direct support from the military—Bangladesh has come to be seen globally as an unstable, unsafe, and unreliable country. Why would other nations trust citizens of a country where an elected government can be systematically overthrown, where mob rule replaces the rule of law?
The so-called government now operating under Muhammad Yunus not only suffers from a serious legitimacy crisis, but an even bigger problem is its complete indifference. The foreign affairs adviser has merely said that issuing visas is the sovereign right of individual countries. Is that an answer? When the dreams of millions of young people are being shattered, is the government’s role simply to sit idle and say that it is other countries’ decision?
The problem is not limited to document fraud, though that is indeed a reality. The real issue is that those illegally in power today have no moral authority to represent the people. They themselves came to power through a military-backed uprising. When a country’s diplomacy is run by such a regime, how can other nations place their trust in it? Why would documents issued by a government whose very existence is in question be considered credible?
Australia’s decision is not merely an administrative change—it is a clear signal. When a country is downgraded directly from Level 1 to Level 3, it reflects just how dire the situation has become. Bangladeshi students must now provide stringent proof of financial capacity, detailed bank transaction histories, and explanations for any sudden large deposits. All of this is happening because Bangladesh has now been labeled an untrustworthy country.
Bangladesh’s inclusion on Europe’s “safe country” list may sound positive, but its implications are alarming. From now on, if a Bangladeshi enters Europe on a student visa and seeks political asylum, the application will be deemed baseless and the person will be swiftly deported. This has happened because the government that came to power after July is being treated as having made the country “safe.” But who is actually safe under a government that itself came to power through a bloody coup? Only those who supported that illegal seizure of power.
The UK’s five-percent rejection threshold and the high rejection rate for Bangladeshi students are putting universities’ sponsorship licenses at risk. As a result, institutions such as London Metropolitan University and Glasgow Caledonian University have stopped admitting Bangladeshi students. This is not just a visa issue—it is a crisis of national credibility.
Sixty thousand applications are stalled in Italy, and rejection rates in Malta have exceeded 62 percent. As doors close one after another, who bears responsibility? Those who orchestrated nationwide riots in July to overthrow an elected government; those who used foreign money and the backing of militant groups to plunge the country into chaos. And above all, responsibility lies with the usurious financier Yunus and his so-called advisory council, who sit in power without any electoral mandate and have utterly failed to protect the country’s interests.
Expecting anything better for the people of a country governed by an illegal regime is foolish. No country in the world will trust the citizens of an illegitimate government—this is only natural. As long as Yunus and his team remain in power, Bangladesh’s international image will continue to deteriorate, with no chance of improvement.
Students want to go abroad with their dreams, to pursue higher education and build their futures. But those dreams are being crushed by an illegitimate government. When Australian visa officers or the German ambassador say that Bangladeshis submit forged documents, it is pointless to blame only a few dishonest agents. The real problem is that when illegality, dishonesty, and coup-driven power grabs define the state itself, every citizen ends up paying the price.
The Yunus government is taking no diplomatic initiatives, doing no lobbying, making no effort to improve relations with other countries. It sits by indifferently, watching as one country after another closes its doors to Bangladeshis. The foreign affairs adviser’s helpless statement—that granting visas is another country’s prerogative—cannot be the language of a government. It is the language of a defeated, incapable, and illegitimate regime.