Since taking over from toppled leader Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh’s interim government has faced numerous challenges, from rising inflation to delays in implementing crucial reforms across the judiciary, political system and economy, primarily due to ongoing law and order issues. Additionally, there is growing concern of the ousted Awami League regrouping.
Meanwhile, a date for the temporary government’s promised elections remains undetermined, seeding doubt and anxiety among a frustrated public.
In the gap, experts and insiders warned that those who flourished under Hasina’s venal 15-year regime were weighing a comeback.
A senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told This Week in Asia that a faction of the civil service was working to sabotage the reform agenda of Muhammad Yunus, the nation’s interim leader.
“For the past decade and a half, the system has thrived on keeping the Awami League in power,” the official said, citing Hasina’s political machine.
“Many were given unchecked authority, allowing them to engage in widespread corruption across ministries and departments. If you attempt to clean house completely, almost no one would be left.”
The most corrupt elements were now working “to shield themselves from accountability”, he added, biding their time and “hoping to buy their way out of consequences”.
Efforts to erode faith in Yunus’ administration come as the crimes of Hasina’s era are still being uncovered.
A United Nations report on February 12 claimed that Hasina’s administration may have committed “crimes against humanity” during the mass protests that led to her ousting in August, with security forces reportedly killing up to 1,400 people.
“The brutal response was a calculated and well-coordinated strategy by the former government to hold onto power in the face of mass opposition,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk. He also indicated there was credible evidence linking Hasina’s party and security forces to enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.
After fleeing Bangladesh, Hasina found refuge in India.
Nobel laureate Yunus has been busy trying to patch up the wounds of the past, calling for justice and accountability – including Hasina’s extradition to Bangladesh.
But on Dhaka’s streets, the goodwill that greeted Yunus slowly retreated as the hard realities of government ground high expectations.
“Food prices remain high, and we’re tired of complaining,” said Jotsna Banu, a homemaker in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur district, lining up to buy discounted cooking oil and lentils from a truck.
“I had high hopes for this government, but I feel that improvements are not happening quickly enough.”
Still Banu, like many others, had not given up on Yunus and blamed the persistent high prices on profiteering businessmen, who prospered under Hasina’s corrupt regime. “Her cronies are still embedded in the administration, and they don’t want Yunus to succeed,” Banu said.
Clock ticking?
Yunus had sought to reform the judiciary, police, finance, and public administration to revitalise the stagnant economy and dismantle the fallen leader’s corruption-soaked network from the country’s political and economic fabric.
Yunus initially planned to hold elections by late 2025 or early 2026, but that seems unlikely due to ongoing reform obstacles. Student representatives, who played a key role in the protests that led to Hasina’s ousting, have demanded reforms before elections. As a result, many Bangladeshis are sceptical about the country’s ability to conduct free and fair elections soon, raising concerns that delays could lead to instability.
“We fought for change, yet it’s evident that this government is struggling,” said Ali Arafat, a 37-year-old private sector employee. “The law and order situation remains precarious. Sporadic protests continue to paralyse the city [Dhaka] now and then. The government is failing to maintain safety and security or to bring the situation under control.”
The interim government had called for patience as it works to stabilise the economy and tackle security challenges, including rebuilding a fractured police force. A government spokesman told This Week in Asia that the issues inherited from the previous administration could not be resolved overnight, but key indicators such as inflation and crime rates were already decreasing.
“The interim government inherited stubborn inflation above 10 per cent. However, with decisive measures, including central bank interest rate hikes and ensuring a steady supply of goods, we have brought it down to single digits,” said Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to Yunus, adding that he expected inflation to drop to 7 per cent in the coming months. Government data showed inflation stood at 9.94 per cent in January.
He also said the public safety situation was quickly improving, with police morale returning after being affected by the protests. Major political parties were increasingly pressuring for a national election, even if it required scaling back reforms.
“We are hopeful that we can quickly reach a consensus on these reforms, paving the way for national elections to be conducted very soon. That is our expectation,” Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, a prominent leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), told reporters on February 15.
Bangladesh is “at a critical juncture”, according to Mubashar Hasan, a political analyst and fellow at the University of Oslo. “It is extremely important for the interim government to maintain and follow a defined electoral road map for its legitimacy for a number of reasons, including a peaceful democratic transition of Bangladesh from Sheikh Hasina’s authoritarianism.”
Public anger towards Hasina remains intense
Earlier this month, thousands of protesters set fire to the residence of Hasina’s father, Bangladesh’s founding leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The unrest erupted after reports surfaced that Hasina would address the nation via social media from India. During the live stream, Hasina condemned the attack on her family home, which many protesters had labelled as the “pilgrimage site of fascism”.
Following the UN Human Rights report, there have been urgent calls inside Bangladesh to extradite Hasina to Bangladesh and prohibit the Awami League from engaging in any political activities within the country.
“Awami League leaders, even from exile, continue to incite violence; the state must ban the organisation and bring its leaders to justice,” said Rezwan Ahmed Refat, a Dhaka University law student and one of the leaders of last year’s protests.
Despite mounting legal and political challenges, Awami League leaders remain optimistic about a political comeback. Dismissing the recent UN report as “disappointing and one-sided”, Mohammad Arafat, a former junior minister and senior party leader, claimed Bangladesh’s oldest political party would reclaim its position in the country’s political landscape.
The Awami League “has faced several crises in its seven and a half decades of history and prevailed”, Arafat told This Week in Asia. “That is because, at its core, AL is grounded in its grass-roots strength and connection with the people.”