New Delhi, Aug. 15 -- It was supposed to be an interlude of integrity-a break from the venality and brutality of partisan politics. Instead, the interim government of Dr. Muhammad Yunus, buoyed by the moral aura of a Nobel Prize, has become a cautionary tale in how lofty promises collapse under the weight of corruption, incompetence, and misplaced trust in tainted allies. If Bangladesh's trajectory continues on this path, the country will emerge from this experiment not rejuvenated, but dangerously weakened.

Broken Promises and a Culture of Concealment

The signs of decay were apparent early. In his second address to the nation, Yunus promised an unprecedented step toward transparency: full publication of income and asset declarations fo...