Bangladesh reform charter stalls amid divisions as South Asia reels from youth-led upheavals

Bangladesh’s push for a sweeping reform charter has hit political roadblocks, with interim leader Muhammad Yunus warning that unity is vital as disputes over implementation threaten to prolong the country’s fragile transition.

The 28-page draft, dubbed the “July Charter” after the student-led uprising that ousted long-time prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, proposes a two-term limit for prime ministers and expanded presidential powers.

Ali Riaz, vice-chairman of the Consensus Commission, said after a second round of marathon talks with 30 political parties that 84 reform proposals had been agreed with “only a few notes of dissent.” The main sticking point remains whether the charter should be ratified before or after elections due in February.

The powerful Bangladesh Nationalist Party insists the new parliament must decide, while Jamaat-e-Islami and its allies are pushing for immediate endorsement. The Islamist party has already announced mass rallies in Dhaka on September 18 and nationwide on September 26 to demand its ratification.

“We cannot end with disagreement,” Yunus said, according to the state-run BSS news agency. “The election will be successful only when we can reach a consensus.”

Analysts warn that failure to settle the dispute risks reigniting unrest in the South Asian nation of 170 million, still recovering from last year’s revolt that toppled Hasina.

Regional echoes: Nepal’s interim transition

Bangladesh’s political wrangling comes as neighbouring Nepal navigates its own turbulent transition. Calm returned to Kathmandu on Saturday after days of violent protests left at least 51 people dead, as former chief justice and anti-corruption crusader Sushila Karki was sworn in as the country’s first female prime minister at the head of an interim government.

Her appointment followed the resignation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli amid a Gen Z-led revolt sparked by a controversial social media ban but fueled by deeper anger over corruption, nepotism, and economic hardship. President Ramchandra Paudel has dissolved parliament and scheduled new elections for March 5.

The Nepal protests, marked by the storming of parliament and a mass prison break, drew global attention, with India pledging support and China calling for calm.

South Asia’s shifting political landscape

The parallel transitions in Bangladesh and Nepal underscore a wider trend of political disruption across South Asia, where youth movements have forced entrenched leaders from power and interim governments are struggling to balance reform with stability.

Both Yunus in Dhaka and Karki in Kathmandu face the same challenge: bridging deep political divides while preparing their nations for elections that will determine the future of governance in the region.