After Hasina era, Yunus pitches 10-year PM tenure cap in Bangladesh reforms vote

As the vote approaches, Yunus has also warned of attempts to undermine the process through misinformation.

• Bangladesh to vote on reforms capping PM tenure at 10 years on February 12
• Yunus urges 'yes' vote, promises independent judiciary and bicameral parliament
• Parties signed the charter but aren't actively campaigning for the referendum.

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Bangladesh’s interim government chief Muhammad Yunus on Monday urged voters to back a reform package that would cap the tenure of any individual as prime minister at 10 years. The proposal puts limits on executive power at the heart of a high-stakes referendum scheduled to be held alongside the country’s general elections on February 12.

Notably, the interim advisor's proposed cap follows more than a decade of rule by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, whose multiple back-to-back terms made her one of Bangladesh’s longest-serving leaders and concentrated power in the prime minister’s office. Hasina was ousted in a student-led uprising in August 2024, triggering the current political transition.

In a televised address on Monday, Yunus appealed for a “yes” vote, presenting the reforms as a decisive break from what he described as decades of over-centralisation of authority.

“Vote ‘Yes’ to build the state according to your expectations. By choosing ‘Yes,’ you open the door to creating a new Bangladesh,” Yunus noted, adding that approval of the reforms would free the country from “discrimination, exploitation and oppression”.

A key provision of the package is the proposed tenure limit.

“If the reform package is passed, no individual would be able to serve as prime minister for more than 10 years,” Yunus remarked. He further added that the judiciary would function independently and that a bicameral parliamentary system, including an upper house, would be introduced to balance power.

"The president will not be able to pardon convicted criminals at will. All power will not be concentrated in the hands of the prime minister if the people cast a ‘yes’ vote," he said.

The reforms are outlined in an 84-point document titled the July National Charter-2025, unveiled on October 17 after consultations with political parties and the National Consensus Commission chaired by Yunus. At the launch, Yunus said Bangladesh had “embraced civilisation” and described the moment as the “birth of a New Bangladesh”.

The referendum will be held on the same day as the parliamentary elections, the first since the 2024 unrest. Yunus, who returned from exile to lead the interim administration as chief adviser, has said he will step down once a new, democratically elected government takes office.

Major political parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by Tarique Rahman and Jamaat-e-Islami, have signed the charter with dissenting notes on several provisions, but are not actively campaigning in favour of the referendum. On the other hand, the student-led National Citizen Party, formed last year with Yunus' backing and linked to leaders of the July uprising, did not sign the charter but is campaigning vigorously for a “yes” vote.

The referendum has also sparked legal debate.

As the vote approaches, Yunus has also warned of attempts to undermine the process through misinformation. Speaking to UN human rights chief Volker Turk in a telephone call, he said there had been “a flood of misinformation surrounding the elections”, originating from both local and foreign sources.

“They have flooded social media with fake news, rumours and speculation. We are concerned about the impact this may have on the elections,” Yunus said, according to a statement from his office.

Turk has offered the United Nations’ support in countering disinformation.

Yunus reiterated the warning during meetings with visiting former US diplomats Albert Gombis and Morse Tan, while firmly ruling out any delay to the polls. “No matter who says what, elections will be held on February 12, not a day before, not a day after,” he said, promising a free, fair and peaceful vote and a level playing field for all parties.