BNP Urges Yunus to Adopt Caretaker-Style Interim Government Amid Legal and Constitutional Questions

With national elections just months away, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has called on Chief Advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus to restructure the current interim government following the model of a non-partisan caretaker administration — a concept no longer recognized by the country’s constitution.

The demand came during a high-level meeting held Tuesday evening at the state residence, Jamuna, where a three-member BNP delegation led by Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir met with Dr. Yunus for nearly an hour.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Fakhrul said, “We came today to discuss several political concerns with the chief advisor. Particularly, for the parliamentary polls in February next year to be meaningful, impartial, and acceptable to all, the interim government must now be shaped in the caretaker government model.”

He elaborated that BNP’s understanding of a caretaker system refers to a completely neutral and non-political administration, which must be free from any partisan influence and credible in the public eye.

The BNP delegation included senior leaders Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and Salahuddin Ahmed. They entered Jamuna at 6:00pm and spoke to the press at around 7:11pm.

During the meeting, BNP placed several demands to ensure what they describe as an “impartial environment” for the upcoming election. Fakhrul stated that the party urged the removal of officials still serving in the Secretariat who are believed to be aligned with the previous government, which he described as "fascist." BNP also requested the same be done in district administrations, claiming that many current officers continue to serve the political interests of the former regime.

In terms of law enforcement, BNP demanded that all future appointments and promotions within the police force be made under a strictly neutral process. Additionally, Fakhrul pointed to concerns within the judiciary, especially in the higher courts, where he claimed many judges are politically aligned. Although judicial appointments fall under a separate jurisdiction, he said the party still raised the matter with Dr. Yunus, given the overarching role the interim government currently plays.

“We stressed that the interim government must maintain neutrality. Any partisan officials within the administration should be removed — that was our core demand,” Fakhrul said. When asked whether any specific advisor within the interim government was named in their demands, he responded, “No.”

However, despite the strong rhetoric and demands for a “caretaker-style” government, neither BNP nor any legal authority has explained how such a model could be adopted under the current legal framework. This leads to a deeper constitutional dilemma.

Bangladesh’s constitution does not currently recognize any interim government provision, let alone a caretaker government system, which was formally abolished by the 15th constitutional amendment in 2011. As such, the very existence of the current interim government is itself extra-constitutional — a legal grey area that has raised concerns among political observers and constitutional experts.

This contradiction brings forth a critical question:
On what legal basis can an unconstitutional interim government be further transformed into a non-existent caretaker government?

So far, no clear legal or procedural explanation has been offered by the BNP or the interim government itself regarding how this transformation would occur. Experts remain divided, and public confidence in the neutrality of the election process hangs in the balance.

As the February 2025 general elections draw nearer, the lack of legal clarity and constitutional grounding for the current administrative setup adds a layer of complexity to Bangladesh’s already fragile political landscape.