Bangladesh to mark revolution anniversary with promised democratic revamp

Bangladesh's interim government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, has announced plans to unveil a comprehensive package of democratic reforms on August 5, the first anniversary of the overthrow of the previous administration.

The country, home to approximately 170 million people, has faced significant political upheaval since a student-led revolt ousted then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina after 15 years in power.

Yunus, 85, describes the public administration system he inherited as "completely broken down".

While he has pledged to overhaul democratic institutions, progress in reaching political agreements has been slow as various parties vie for control ahead of elections set for early 2026.

Yunus's government has warned that political power struggles risk jeopardising the gains that have been 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".

Yunus's office said Saturday that the "July Proclamation" would be "presented to the nation... in the presence of all political parties involved in the mass uprising".

Hasina's rule saw widespread human rights abuses, including the mass detention and extrajudicial killings of her political opponents.

Her government was also accused of politicising courts and the civil service, staging lopsided elections and dismantling democratic checks on its power.

Hasina, 77, fled to India, where she has defied court orders to attend her ongoing trial on charges amounting to crimes against humanity.

Protests began on July 1, 2024, with university students calling for reforms to a quota system for public sector jobs.

They culminated on August 5, 2024, when thousands of protesters stormed Hasina's palace as she escaped by helicopter.