Bangladesh Country Focus Report

Bangladesh is undergoing a complex political transition following the collapse of long-standing rule of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League-led government in August 2024. After parliamentary elections in January 2024 whose credibility was widely questioned, protests initially triggered by opposition to public-sector job quotas escalated into a broader anti-government movement amid allegations of democratic backsliding and repression. The demonstrations intensified over several weeks and were met with deadly force, before culminating in Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and flight from the country in early August 2024, effectively ending her government’s tenure and creating a political vacuum. In the aftermath, President Mohammed Shahabuddin announced the formation of an interim administration and pledged new elections and political reforms. An interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus took office in August 2024 with a mandate to stabilise the political environment and guide the transition towards a renewed democratic process. While the transition has reduced some of the most overt forms of repression associated with the previous period, significant structural challenges persist, and democratic institutions continue to evolve under conditions of uncertainty.

This report covers the period of October 2024 to October 2025. Politically, the interim administration operates without a direct electoral mandate. It relies on broad reform legitimacy to push forward changes in governance, anti-corruption oversight and electoral reforms. Several prominent civil society leaders have been appointed to advisory roles and reform commissions, especially in areas such as anti-corruption, women’s affairs and political consensus building. However, the independence of civil society actors has been a subject of debate, as engagement with government simultaneously creates opportunities and raises questions about autonomy and co-optation.

Economically, Bangladesh has experienced both growth and strain. While the ready-made garments sector remains a key engine of export earnings and employment, macroeconomic vulnerabilities have increased with inflationary pressures and declining foreign exchange reserves. The withdrawal of USAID funding in early 2025 removed hundreds of millions of dollars from the development sector, disrupting programmes and forcing layoffs in rights-based and development organisations. This funding shock exposed the sector’s deep dependency on foreign donors and highlighted the absence of robust domestic fundraising mechanisms.

Socially, Bangladesh remains unequal and fragmented. While urban centres like Dhaka and Chattogram often receive disproportionate policy attention and media representation, rural populations, Indigenous communities, religious minorities and gender-diverse groups continue to face structural exclusion. Access to quality education, healthcare and social services varies widely across regions, and societal norms around religion, gender and caste shape patterns of inclusion and marginalisation.

Internet access and digital connectivity have expanded significantly, but this expansion has occurred alongside concerns over surveillance and data governance. Recent reforms such as the Cyber Protection Ordinance 2025, the Personal Data Protection Ordinance 2025 and the National Data Governance Ordinance 2025 have updated the digital legal framework. However, they have also raised concerns among rights advocates about broad executive powers and not enough accountability.

Across these political, economic and social domains, civil society in Bangladesh operates in a dynamic but constrained environment. Formal freedoms are recognised in law, but their exercise is shaped by administrative discretion, regulatory complexity, social stigma and uneven access to resources.