Bangladesh’s Interim Government Calls for Unity to Prevent Return of Authoritarianism

Chief Adviser Yunus to meet key political parties for reform talks.

By DTD- On May 24, 2025

Dhaka — Bangladesh’s caretaker government, formed after the mass uprising that toppled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, has called for national unity to safeguard democratic reforms and prevent the resurgence of authoritarian rule.

In a strongly worded statement issued on Saturday, the interim administration warned that “broader unity is essential to maintain national stability, organise free and fair elections, ensure justice, and permanently prevent the return of authoritarianism in the country.”

The statement comes amid a week of heightened tensions, with rival political factions staging protests across the capital, Dhaka. The South Asian nation of 170 million remains in political flux following Hasina’s ousting after 15 years in power, which ended with a student-led uprising and widespread calls for democratic reforms.

The current government is headed by 84-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, who returned from exile to lead the caretaker setup. Yunus has pledged to steer the country toward democracy, with national elections expected by June 2026 at the latest.

However, political pressure is mounting. The opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), widely considered a front-runner in the next elections, is demanding that polls be held by December. Their demands have been echoed by Jamaat-e-Islami, another key political group, and reportedly by Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, who also supports a December election timeline.

Yunus is expected to meet with leaders of both BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami today for high-stakes talks, although no formal agenda has been disclosed.

In its statement, the government criticized what it called “unreasonable demands, deliberately provocative and jurisdictionally overreaching statements” from political rivals, which it says are hampering its efforts to govern and reform.

The caretaker government also warned that if its autonomy, reform process, or ability to conduct fair elections is threatened, it would take “necessary steps with the people” — though it stopped short of elaborating on what those steps might be.

Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India after her ouster, remains in self-imposed exile. She faces an arrest warrant in Bangladesh for alleged crimes against humanity during last year’s deadly police crackdown on protesters, which reportedly left over 1,400 people dead.

The coming weeks are expected to be crucial as the interim government seeks to balance political pressure, rising public expectations, and a volatile security environment to keep the country on the path to democracy.