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yesterday

Bangladesh Parties Sign Reform Charter as Police Disperse Dhaka Protesters

The next test is whether a non-binding blueprint gains force, delivering an inclusive February 2026 vote.

Image
People wave flags during celebrations marking the one-year anniversary of student-led protests that led to the ousting of Bangladeshi then-Prime-Minister Sheikh Hasina, at Manik Mia Avenue, outside the parliament building, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, August 5, 2025. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain
The clashes broke out between protesters who ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in July last year and the police.
Bangladesh interim leader Muhammad Yunus at the signing ceremony of the July Charter, in Dhaka | X/@stefanliller

Overview

  • Roughly 25 parties, including the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, endorsed the document at Parliament’s South Plaza, while the student-led NCP and several leftist groups refused to sign over the lack of a binding legal framework.
  • Police used tear gas, stun or sound grenades and batons to clear crowds identifying as participants and families from the 2024 uprising, with witnesses reporting injuries, vandalised police vehicles and fires at temporary facilities.
  • Organisers introduced last-minute revisions offering indemnity or allowances for so-called July fighters and adding language denouncing the Awami League, alongside pledges of justice for victims of abuses under Hasina and during the 2024 unrest.
  • The charter outlines constitutional changes including a two-term limit for prime ministers and expanded presidential powers but remains non-binding pending ratification by a new parliament or a referendum.
  • Protest leaders threatened nationwide highway blockades on Sunday to demand state recognition, legal protection and rehabilitation for those killed or injured during last year’s protests.