The atmosphere around the Parliament building in Dhaka was light. Young people were taking photos of themselves, green and red Bangladeshi flags in hand, in front of the geometrically-shaped structure designed by architect Louis Kahn. Families were strolling among the balloon vendors along Manik Mia Avenue, enjoying their weekly day off. The institutional complex, guarded by the armed forces, has been closed to elected representatives for three months. The student revolution, which ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5, rendered the assembly that sat there obsolete. The interim government, led by economist Muhammad Yunus, winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, took over the country's reins on August 8.

In a sign that times have changed, the slogans of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the main opposition party during the old regime, echoed down the avenue this Friday, November 8. The PNB had organized a rally of several hundred thousand people in the Bangladeshi capital. "Before, my parents would never have let me come to a PNB demonstration," said Mohamed Muzahid, 28, an activist of this party whose members were the object of a veritable hunt by the deposed power. "It's a great opportunity for us to have Muhammad Yunus as our leader," said Karima Akhtar Oni, an 18-year-old student out for a walk.

Some 100 days following the fall of the hated leader, the task facing the provisional government remains colossal. It must ensure the democratic transition of a country whose institutions have been corrupted for 15 years by a regime that has become increasingly autocratic, and whose economy is faltering. The police, public administration and judicial system have all been shaped over time by the so-called "Iron Begum."

"The changes are not as rapid as we had anticipated, because the law enforcement agencies, civil administration and also the judiciary functioned as in a monarchy and only served the interests of the monarch," said Syeda Rizwana Hasan, in charge of environmental issues and spokesperson for an interim government, many of whose members are from civil society.

Ten commissions have been set up, each focusing on a key reform, such as the electoral system, public administration, the police, the constitution, the fight against corruption or the justice system. They will submit their conclusions to the government by December 31. The government will then have to reach a consensus with all political parties, including the main Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami. The Bangladesh Awami League (BAL), led by Sheikh Hasina, now exiled in India, has been excluded from this process.

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