Dhaka, Feb. 16 -- The July Uprising promised a reset. What followed was a pause. Tasked with justice, reform, and transition, the interim administration steadied a country in free fall -- yet stopped short of fundamental change.

When Muhammad Yunus stepped into office at the crest of the Uprising, Bangladesh was not looking for miracles -- it was looking for balance. The streets had spoken. An old order had fallen, and the nation hung suspended between rupture and renewal.

The interim government vowed to steer Bangladesh "along the path shown by the youth" -- a promise laden with moral authority, revolutionary fervour, and extraordinary public expectation.

Eighteen months on, with elections concluded and the interim authority preparing...