A lot has happened over the last two months. A mysterious major fire recently broke out in the cargo section of Dhaka’s main airport, the third conflagration in Bangladesh in the last week. The cause of the airport fire is under investigation.
However, there is much good news to report. One of the most important developments was the adoption of the July Charter—developed over many months by the Interim Government’s National Consensus Commission—by 26 political parties including two of the largest: the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami.
The Charter outlines the areas of consensus for reforming Bangladesh in the aftermath of the July Revolution of 2024. After the February 2026 election, next government will be responsible for implementing key aspects of the Charter. You can read more about the Charter in this article in the Dhaka Tribune. Among the diplomats lauding this achievement was Michael Miller, the representative of the European Union in Dhaka.
In a related development, the Interim Government, in a remarkable act of transparency and public accountability, posted a detailed summary of where things stood on dozens of reforms it has undertaken and the positions of the major political parties on each of them and the overall process. This document represents highlights of the Charter, rendered in English. (An official English translation of the entire Charter is being prepared.)
Last month, Bangladesh’s delegation to the United Nations General Assembly orchestrated a highly successful trip that included a conversation Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus had with U.S. President Donald Trump. During their conversation, the Chief Adviser invited President Trump to visit Bangladesh. This and other contacts underscored the enduring strength of U.S.-Bangladesh relations.
Remarkably, the delegation included representatives of three major political parties in Bangladesh, who often sat together during the official proceedings. The Chief Adviser also had a positive meeting with the U.N. Secretary General. Following the official UNGA proceedings, there was a high level U.N. conference on the Rohingya refugee crisis, which represented an important diplomatic triumph for Bangladesh. During the conference, Professor Yunus outlined a 7-point plan for resolving the crisis. The gathering resulted in $96 million in new pledges from the U.S. and U.K. governments to help the more than 1 million displaced people from Myanmar living in Bangladesh today.
On the sidelines of UNGA week, there was a Friends of Bangladesh reception for the second year in a row for both Bangladeshi-Americans and Americans with strong ties to the country, which was organized by Susan Gibson and Andrea Jung, and a successful meeting of Nonresident Bangladeshis (NRBs) living in the United States. Bangladeshis living in the United States attended both gatherings. In addition, there were sporadic, poorly-attended protests characterized by profanity and “political venom,” according to one observer. Professor Yunus had an emotional meeting with the family of Didarul Islam, the New York City police officer who was killed earlier this year.
Earlier this month, Durga Puja, the most important Hindu festival observed in Bangladesh, was celebrated peacefully and joyfully according to Shayan Khan, the editor of the Dhaka Courier, Pinnaki Bhattacharya, an influential blogger, and others. This achievement was further evidence that minorities generally feel more secure under the Interim Government than they did under prior regimes, despite some unhinged commentary to the contrary.
Good news on the economic front continued to accumulate, including the fact that Bangladeshi garments exports to the United States grew 26% in January-February 2025, compared to the same time period in 2024. There were other positive economic developments.
Many commentators noted that recent student elections were free and fair, auguring well for the national election in February, which the Bangladesh public seems optimistic and excited about according to an important recent poll by Innovision.
In keeping with its commitment to public accountability, the government arrested at least 14 members of the Army who were accused of abuses, a move hailed by the respected human rights organization Amnesty International. Despite the lame efforts of some to use this development to stir up discontent, including by publishing a doctored (fake) photo of an army officer stepping on a photo of the Chief Adviser, the country stood behind this courageous and necessary move.
All in all, it has been a productive and indeed historic two months in Bangladesh’s history. Still, many daunting challenges remain. We remain especially concerned about efforts by the ousted regime to destabilize the Interim Government and sabotage the election with its stolen billions, but we are cautiously optimistic and look forward to tracking progress in the reform and election processes in the weeks and months to come.
