On the verge of completing six months in office, the interim government led by Dr Muhammad Yunus is perhaps at its lowest ebb, as it struggles to revive the economy, maintain law and order, and pushes for reforms. Just a word on that last item, first: we must arrive at a definition of what we speak about, when we speak of reforms. Sometimes, we speak as if waving a wand can deliver the reform we seek. But at the end of the day, reform is really about a change in mindset, first and foremost. The sector-wise commissions to identify systems that had regressed into points of exploitation, rather than points of service, is an acceptable approach. Implementing the needed reforms, however, may fall on an elected government's shoulders.

Meanwhile, on the foreign policy front, it may well be that New Delhi has given up on any kind of rapprochement, till after an elected government assumes office again. In that regard, the speech by the Indian army chief earlier this month may well serve as the last word on India-Bangladesh ties, for the duration of the interim government. Should the Yunus administration be satisfied that it has done everything in its power to arrive at a new equilibrium in the most important bilateral relationship we can have, given the realities of geography? Probably yes, if you are to draw a line for 'everything' at anything short of compromising the nation's sovereignty, or bending the knee.

The revitalised self-worth of the BGB, that is clear from its activity along several points of the massive border separating India and Bangladesh in recent months, can be a lasting legacy of the IG. The activity is complemented by a change in body language, that is clear for everyone to see. The message to the BGB, since the IG came to office, has been "to not show their backs" to their adversaries. This has been embraced by the men on the frontier with both courage and maturity.

With the realisation dawning that no government can perform overnight miracles, many of the outsize expectations that were fed by the July Movement, have today probably been curbed. From 'reset button' and 'out with the old', today there is a renewed emphasis we find, on 'minimum reforms'. Does that undercut the clearly plentiful spaces within the state structure that are today crying out for it? If it is, it shouldn't be. Reform programmes must now find their place in the party manifestos of each political party planning to run in the election, including the one being launched as the vehicle for the students, under the leadership of Akhtar Hossain and Nasiruddin Patwary. Once the public has chosen and given its verdict in favour of a certain set of reforms, they should be much more straightforward to implement.

"Free, fair and peaceful polls will be paramount for restoring Bangladeshi people's faith in electoral politics," said the International Crisis Group's Senior Consultant on Myanmar and Bangladesh Thomas Kean, in an important update this week. That almost goes without saying, but it is also indicative of the general mood shifting within parts of the international community as well, to one that now views the election as the most significant deliverable from the Yunus government. How they deal with the delicate matter of delivering it, if the students do form a party while being part of the government, will be the next flashpoint in the political arena. As always, we will be keeping a close eye on it.