Litmus Test for Dr Yunus: Can he bridge country’s political divide?

Abu Jakir :

As the country inches closer to its general election, fresh tension has gripped its already turbulent political scene.

The latest fault line: when to hold a referendum on the July National Charter — a reform framework born out of the mass uprising that toppled the Awami League government last year.

At the center of the standoff stands Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel laureate now navigating the country’s fragile transition. The decision on the referendum’s timing — whether before or after the February election — has become a litmus test for his ability to manage a bitterly divided political class.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has taken a hard line, ruling out any referendum before the polls. “There is no scope for a referendum before the national election,” BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said at an event in Dhaka again on Saturday.

He also accused the interim administration of creating “a fresh political crisis” and urged it not to “deceive the nation with false promises.”

In sharp contrast, eight political parties — including Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami — have urged the Election Commission to organize the referendum by November. Their leaders argue that the Charter must be legitimized through a popular mandate before the next parliament is formed.

“The BNP can make its proposals, but we want the referendum before the election,” said Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Maulana Abdul Halim. The National Citizens’ Party (NCP) echoed that view. At a press event, NCP Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari warned that “delaying the referendum will push the country back into uncertainty.”

He added pointedly: “The BNP was born through a ‘Yes’ vote — if it now insists on a ‘No’ vote, it will die by that ‘No’ vote.”

Inside the interim government, patience is wearing thin. Law Adviser Professor Asif Nazrul expressed frustration at what he described as “contradictory and provocative” positions taken by the political parties. “If no consensus is reached after so much dialogue,” he said, “we really have to think carefully about how to proceed.”

According to government insiders, Dr Yunus has quietly begun consulting senior leaders from both sides. Advisers have already met BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed and Jamaat Nayebe Ameer Dr Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher. The Advisory Council is expected to finalize recommendations on the referendum in the coming days.

At a meeting on Friday, several advisers reportedly proposed that the referendum and the general election be held on the same day — a compromise designed to balance political and logistical pressures. Most advisers also recommended that the July National Charter not become automatically binding but instead serve as a set of directives for the next parliament, which would act as a Constitution Reform Council tasked with enacting the reforms within 270 days.

Legal experts have advised that the implementing order — the “July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order 2025” — be issued by the president rather than the chief adviser to ensure constitutional legitimacy. Still, the final decision rests with Dr Yunus.

The dispute follows the National Consensus Commission’s submission of its final report, which outlined 84 reform proposals — including 48 constitutional amendments — intended to overhaul Bangladesh’s governance system. The Commission suggested two possible paths: either the reforms take effect automatically if parliament fails to act, or they are adopted through a single nationwide referendum.

Meanwhile, civil society voices have begun warning that further delay could undermine the very spirit of the July uprising. “Those who gave their lives in July did so for reform,” said Badiul Alam Majumdar, a member of the National Consensus Commission. “If the Charter fails in the referendum, their sacrifice will be in vain.”

For Dr Yunus, who rose to international prominence for his work in microcredit and social entrepreneurship, the challenge now is political rather than economic: whether he can reconcile rival parties long accustomed to zero-sum politics.

The coming weeks will determine whether the interim administration can steer the country toward consensus — or whether the referendum, intended as a symbol of renewal, becomes another casualty of Bangladesh’s endless cycle of political mistrust.

Experts suggest that coordinated efforts are necessary to address the issue for saving country’s economy and image.

Meanwhile, at a programme in Barguna, Hasnat Abdullah, the chief organiser of the National Citizens’ Party (NCP) for the southern region, said the country is now divided into two camps over the issue of reform – one supporting it and the other opposing it. Those who support reform, he noted, appear to be closer to us, while those against it have distanced themselves from the reformist cause.