Is Bangladesh backtracking on post-Hasina reforms?

Two years after a student-led uprising ended Sheikh Hasina's nearly 16-year rule, many in Bangladesh fear the country is moving backward. Hasina, now in exile in India, is reportedly planning a return in December, while critics accuse the current government of failing to fulfill its promises, casting doubt on the nation's political future.

Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan, a professor of international relations at Dhaka University, expressed disappointment, stating, "At the end of the day, we did not see the elimination of discrimination, the creation of an inclusive society, or the new political order that was promised." He added, "It seems we are forgetting the very reasons behind the uprising of last July, especially those who came to power."

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At the end of the day, we did not see the elimination of discrimination, the creation of an inclusive society, or the new political order that was promised. It seems we are forgetting the very reasons behind the uprising of last July, especially those who came to power.

The protest movement initially began in 2018 over a controversial quota system for government jobs. In 2024, a court-backed decision to reinstate parts of this system sparked renewed demonstrations that escalated into a wider anti-government uprising. Following over 1,000 deaths during the unrest, then-Prime Minister Hasina fled to India in August 2024.

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time-bound commitments

Bangladesh's interim government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus and supported by the military and key figures from the uprising, facilitated the signing of the "July Charter." This reform roadmap, approved by approximately 70% of voters in a February 2026 referendum, proposed prime ministerial term limits, an upper parliamentary house, stronger presidential powers, and enhanced judicial independence. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secured a significant majority in the general election held concurrently with the referendum.

However, critics, including Ali Riaz, who headed the interim government's Constitution Reform Commission, point to unfulfilled "time-bound commitments." Riaz lamented the failure to establish a constitutional reform council and implement reforms within the stipulated 180 working days, calling it "deeply regrettable."

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deeply regrettable

The BNP government has refused to adopt 20 of the 133 ordinances introduced by the interim government, including measures related to the National Human Rights Commission, the Anti-Corruption Commission, enforced disappearances, and referendums. The BNP maintains that constitutional and institutional changes must follow parliamentary legislative procedures. The party and its allies have clashed with the opposition over the July Charter's proposals, particularly those concerning a constituent assembly for constitutional reforms. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, who led the BNP's representatives in the National Consensus Commission, described the charter's implementation order as "a document" in Parliament in March.

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