On Saturday, Bangladesh’s interim government announced its plan to introduce a set of democratic reforms on August 5, commemorating the first anniversary of the overthrow of the previous autocratic government. The South Asian nation of approximately 170 million people has been in a state of political turmoil since a student-led uprising on August 5, 2024, ended Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule.
Muhammad Yunus, the 85-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate who serves as the chief adviser of the caretaker government until new elections are held, has stated that he inherited a “completely broken down” public administration system. Yunus had previously promised to present a “big package” to overhaul the country’s democratic institutions. However, progress on reaching a consensus has been slow, as political parties vie for power ahead of elections scheduled for early 2026.
Yunus’s government has cautioned that these political power struggles could jeopardize the gains already made. On July 29, Yunus said he was working to “build a broad national consensus around a renewed political system—one that delivers inclusive, participatory, and credible elections.” His office announced on Saturday that the “July Proclamation” would be “presented to the nation… in the presence of all political parties involved in the mass uprising.”
Sheikh Hasina’s administration was known for widespread human rights abuses, including mass detentions and extrajudicial killings of political opponents. Her government was also accused of politicizing the judiciary and civil service, conducting unfair elections, and dismantling democratic checks on its power. Hasina, 77, fled to India, where she has ignored court orders to attend her ongoing trial on charges of crimes against humanity.
The protests began on July 1, 2024, with university students demanding reforms to a quota system for public sector jobs. The uprising culminated on August 5, 2024, when thousands of protesters stormed Hasina’s official residence, forcing her to escape by helicopter.
