Bangladesh grapples with fraught politics a year after former PM Hasina fled
FILE PHOTO: A protester vandalises a mural of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with paint, demanding her resignation at Teacher Student Center (TSC) area of University of Dhaka in Dhaka, August 3, 2024. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain/File Photo
DHAKA - Bangladesh marks on Tuesday a year since long-serving former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the South Asian Islamic nation following student-led protests, but it is still grappling with instability.
Here are key tasks ahead for the country of 173 million governed by the interim administration of Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus.
DEADLY JULY PROTESTS
Led by the 'Students Against Discrimination' group, they initially targeted a quota system in public sector jobs but escalated into deadly unrest as protesters, demanding Hasina's resignation, clashed with security forces and supporters of her Awami League party.
Protesters blamed the government for a crackdown that killed hundreds and injured thousands with unrest peaking on August 5 when Hasina was forced to flee to neighbouring India just before protesters stormed her official residence.
YUNUS TAKES CHARGE
An interim government was formed and tasked with restoring stability and preparing for parliamentary elections. Yunus, 85, took charge as de facto prime minister.
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It promised sweeping institutional reforms but progress has been slow and fragmented, despite broad consensus on key reforms such as restoring a non-partisan caretaker government to oversee elections, depoliticising state institutions and overhauling the Election Commission.
But deeper reforms have stalled in the face of sharp disagreements with political parties over proposals for constitutional change, judicial reform and introduction of a bicameral parliament. Political analysts point to a widening gap between public expectations and outcomes.
ELECTION, INCLUSION AND CONTENTION
Yunus' government is caught between the need for reform and pressure for early elections, its biggest challenge. Yunus has suggested February 2026 as a possible date after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia called for a December 2025 deadline.
Further strain has been added by the controversy over the exclusion of Hasina's Awami League party, after its registration was suspended, effectively barring it from contesting.
Many want it to participate, despite its top leadership being prosecuted for alleged violations of human rights during the protests. Without broad political inclusion, the legitimacy of a vote could be suspect.
The newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP), born out of the 2024 protests, is viewed by critics as being favoured by Yunus' administration, which the government denies. But the suspicion could also cloud the credibility of the vote.
CHANGED POLITICAL CULTURE, BUT FRAGILE GAINS
Law enforcement remains a challenge, though analysts say freedom of expression has expanded since Hasina's exit while suspected forced disappearances during her tenure appear to have stopped.
Political violence, mob attacks and harassment of journalists and minorities, especially women, are regularly reported. Mob violence claimed at least 199 lives between August 2024 and July 2025, says rights group Ain o Salish Kendra.
New York-based Human Rights Watch warns that while some authoritarian practices have ended, the interim government has adopted troubling tactics of its own.
Among these arbitrary detentions, mass arrests, and politically motivated prosecutions mostly targeted at supporters of Hasina's party, the group said.
Torture in custody and use of the Special Powers Act continue, mirroring repressive tactics of the past, HRW said.
The government denies the charges.
JULY DECLARATION
A charter, called the 'July Declaration' after last year's uprising, is set to be unveiled on Tuesday, laying out a roadmap for democratic reforms.
Drafted by the government in consultation with political and student leaders, it aims to commit to electoral reform, constitutional changes, and institutional accountability.
It is seen as both a symbolic tribute and a strategic blueprint for Bangladesh's political transition. But critics warn it could remain merely symbolic without legal safeguards and broad parliamentary consensus to help drive major change. REUTERS
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