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Bangladesh’s temporary government announced on Saturday that it will introduce a set of democratic reforms on August 5, marking the one-year anniversary of the ousting of the previous authoritarian regime.
The South Asian country, home to approximately 170 million people, has been embroiled in political unrest since a student-led uprising toppled then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5, 2024, ending her 15-year leadership.
Muhammad Yunus, the 85-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate now serving as the chief adviser leading the caretaker government until elections take place, has stated he inherited a “completely broken” public administration system.
Yunus had previously committed to unveiling a “significant package” to revamp democratic institutions.
However, progress has been slow as political parties compete for control ahead of the early 2026 elections.
Yunus’s administration has cautioned that ongoing political power struggles could threaten the progress achieved so far.
On July 29, Yunus shared that he is working toward “building a broad national consensus around a renewed political system — one that guarantees inclusive, participatory, and credible elections.”
His office indicated that the “July Proclamation” would be “presented to the nation… in the presence of all political parties involved in the mass uprising.”
Under Hasina’s tenure, widespread human rights abuses were reported, including mass arrests and extrajudicial killings of political opponents.
Her government was also accused of politicizing the courts and civil service, manipulating election outcomes, and dismantling democratic safeguards on its authority.
Hasina, 77, fled to India, where she has ignored court orders to attend her ongoing trial on charges that amount to crimes against humanity.
Protests erupted on July 1, 2024, when university students demanded reforms to a quota system for public-sector jobs.
These demonstrations peaked on August 5, 2024, when thousands of protesters stormed Hasina’s palace as she escaped in a helicopter.
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