Dhaka, Nov. 2 -- As the country inches closer to its general election, fresh tension has gripped its already turbulent political scene.

The latest fault line: when to hold a referendum on the July National Charter - a reform framework born out of the mass uprising that toppled the Awami League government last year.

At the center of the standoff stands Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel laureate now navigating the country's fragile transition. The decision on the referendum's timing - whether before or after the February election - has become a litmus test for his ability to manage a bitterly divided political class.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has taken a hard line, ruling out any referendum before the polls. "There ...