The caretaker government of Bangladesh has urged national unity to protect democracy and avert a return to authoritarianism, after weeks of mounting protests in the capital, Dhaka. The interim government that was formed after mass protests toppled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last year called for wide cooperation to guarantee stability, justice, and fair elections.
Since the ousting of Hasina in August 2024, the South Asian nation of about 170 million people has experienced acute political turmoil. Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Peace Prize winner who came back from exile after being called back by protesters, is leading the caretaker government. Yunus has promised to establish democratic reforms prior to elections, which are scheduled to be conducted at the latest by June 2026.
In a recent release, the caretaker government threatened that if its process of reform, justice, and election preparation is hindered, it will take proper steps with the people, but it did not elaborate on what measures would be taken. Yunus has also been set to hold talks with major opposition parties, such as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami, both of which have organized demonstrations against the government. The BNP is calling for elections by December, a stand endorsed by military leader General Waker-Uz-Zaman.
Student activist Nahid Islam, of the uprising’s National Citizen Party, was concerned about having another military-backed regime like in the 2007 emergency rule. While accepting that the military has a role to play in national security, Islam cautioned against intervention by the military in politics fearing the forthcoming elections could be highly curbed instead of free and fair.
The caretaker administration is under increasing pressure to deliver on its vow of reform and democratic transformation in a precarious political setting.
