International Desk(National Times)- Bangladesh on July 1 marks one year since students launched protests that culminated weeks later in the overthrow of the government. After ruling with an iron fist for 15 years, Sheikh Hasina became the latest leader to be toppled by force since the country’s independence in 1971. The Muslim-majority nation of about 170 million people is now in political limbo, led by a caretaker government until elections slated for 2026. Here are five key events in the South Asian country since protesters took to the streets a year ago.
July 1, 2024: Anti-government protests
University students launch demonstrations to demand reforms to a quota system for sought-after public sector jobs. They say the scheme is used to stack the civil service with those loyal to Hasina, who won a fifth term as prime minister months earlier in a vote without genuine opposition. Hasina’s rule saw widespread human rights abuses, including the mass detention and extrajudicial killings of her political opponents. Deadly violence intensifies later in July with police opening fire. Bangladesh is the world’s second-largest garment exporter, and the industry is hit hard by the protests. Clashes escalate despite a curfew, the deployment of soldiers and an internet blackout. Up to 1,400 people are killed in the unrest, according to the United Nations.
August 5, 2024: Hasina flees
Thousands of protesters storm Hasina’s palace, with millions on the streets celebrating, some dancing on armoured cars and tanks. Hasina flees Dhaka by helicopter to neighbouring ally India, as army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announces the military will form an interim government. Bangladesh has a long history of military coups and the army retains a powerful role. Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus returns to Bangladesh at the behest of student protesters to lead the government as its “chief adviser”. Yunus says he inherited a “completely broken down” system of public administration. The 85-year-old microfinance pioneer embarks on an ambitious programme to overhaul democratic institutions that he says are required to prevent a return to authoritarian rule.
May 24, 2025: Calls for unity
The interim government warns that intense political power struggles could jeopardise gains that have been made. Yunus’s government calls for “broader unity”, warning of the risk of “the return of authoritarianism” if it cannot push through reforms. The government bans Hasina’s Awami League, pending the outcome of the trials of its leaders for the deadly crackdown on protesters. The powerful Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), seen as the election frontrunner, pushes hard for polls to be held by December, a timeframe backed by the military chief. Yunus says he has a duty to implement reforms before holding elections and promises a vote by June 2026.
June 1, 2025: Hasina on trial
Hasina is put on trial in absentia and accused of having orchestrated a “systematic attack” that amounts to crimes against humanity. The 77-year-old remains in self-imposed exile in India and has rejected the charges as politically motivated. The prosecution of senior figures from Hasina’s government is a key demand of several political parties jostling for power. Those on trial also include the former police chief and ex-interior minister.
Early 2026: Elections
Yunus, under intense pressure from political parties, notably the BNP, brings forward his election deadline to early April. He says he will step down after polls. The BNP says they want elections before Ramadan which begins around February 17. The interim government says it could bring the vote forward if there is “significant” progress on reforms and trials.
