Bangladesh demands political parties agree on reform plan

DHAKA: Disagreements between Bangladeshi politicians have stalled a key democratic reform plan, the interim government said Monday, giving parties a week to reach consensus or face unilateral action.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, who leads the government as “chief advisor”, said he had inherited a “completely broken down” political system after taking over following an uprising last year.

Yunus has argued that the reform charter, which he has championed as the cornerstone of his legacy, is vital to prevent a return to authoritarian rule.

Key parties signed the document at a ceremony in October, but some said it must be ratified by a referendum.

Asif Nazrul, who holds the law portfolio in the interim government, told reporters that “despite holding discussions for a long time, political parties still have unresolved issues of disagreement.”

Bangladesh parties sign landmark reform charter

He cited disagreements on “the timetable of the referendum and the topics to be included”.

The South Asian nation of 170 million people has been in political turmoil since was Sheikh Hasina was toppled in August 2024, fleeing to India.

The “July Charter”, named after the revolt, has become a flashpoint between parties vying for power ahead of national elections expected in February 2026.

Yunus, who has pledged to step down after elections, says the reform plan will strengthen checks and balances between the executive, judicial and legislative branches.

It proposes a two-term limit for prime ministers and expanded presidential powers.

“We urge the political parties to come up with a united position on the referendum at the earliest – preferably within a week,” Nazrul said.

“Otherwise, the government will act independently.”

Salahuddin Ahmed, a senior leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), suggested the decision was not up to the interim government.

“I have never seen a referee try to score a goal”, he said.

Leaders of the BNP – seen as among the election front-runners – as well as Jamaat-e-Islami, the Muslim-majority nation’s largest Islamist party, signed the charter.

The National Citizen Party (NCP), made up of many students who spearheaded the uprising that ended Hasina’s rule, did not sign.