The Washington Post published an investigation this week based on audio recordings from a private December meeting in Dhaka between a U.S. diplomat and several female Bangladeshi journalists. The newspaper obtained the recordings, and their authenticity was later confirmed through discussions with the diplomat and the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka.

The audio captures the diplomat offering frank assessments of Bangladesh’s evolving political situation after the 2024 uprising that forced out former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus now heads the interim government, which is preparing for national elections set for February 12.

In the recording, the diplomat described Yunus’s political skills as “genius,” particularly in navigating relations with opposition groups like the BNP. The diplomat praised Yunus’s outreach to figures such as Tarique Rahman in London, as well as his success in balancing pressures from the military, political elites, and business sectors without yielding.

The diplomat also highlighted positive economic developments since August 5, including the return of overseas remittances to official banking channels and the stability of the ready-made garment (RMG) sector amid the unrest.

The recordings include contentious remarks about Sheikh Hasina’s conviction by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal. While acknowledging that the tribunal did not meet international standards for being “free and fair,” the diplomat asserted that Hasina was “guilty” and described the outcome as a politically calculated move carried out within the tribunal’s legal scope.

These comments have sparked significant interest, given the trial’s sensitivity and India’s decision to refuse Bangladesh’s extradition requests for Hasina, who remains in New Delhi.