Bangladesh’s interim government today explained that political parties had largely agreed in principle on a sweeping reform charter, but remained divided over how it should be implemented.

The South Asian nation of 170 million people has been in political turmoil since Sheikh Hasina was ousted as prime minister by a student-led revolt in August 2024.

Interim leader Muhammad Yunus has backed the 28-page draft, dubbed the July Charter after last year’s student-led uprising, which proposes a two-term limit for prime ministers and expanded presidential powers.

The key dispute is over the legal weight of the charter. Critics argue it cannot override the existing constitution until after elections due in February, when a new parliament could endorse it.

The powerful Bangladesh Nationalist Party insists parliament must decide on its fate, while the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami and others want it ratified immediately.