Senior Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Mohammad Shishir Monir warned that Bangladesh could face an automatic establishment of a fascist regime within five years if essential political and institutional reforms are not implemented. He made the remarks on Wednesday at a discussion titled “Implementation of People’s Verdict and Public Expectation” held at the Central Muslim Literary Society in Sylhet.

Monir said the main goal of the recent mass uprising was to restructure the state and strengthen democratic institutions. However, without political will, institutional reform, and accountability, power could again become concentrated in the hands of a few, weakening democracy. He criticized the BNP for failing to play a responsible role after the uprising and alleged that the July Charter’s reform pledges, including constitutional amendments and formation of an upper house, were being ignored.

Former Sylhet Medical University vice-chancellor Professor Dr. Ismail Patwari added that the dream of freeing the country from fascism was fading as loyalty was prioritized over merit. Speakers urged political parties to implement the July Charter to honor the sacrifices of those involved in the uprising.