- By Ajeet Kumar
- Fri, 06 Jun 2025 07:38 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Bangladesh's interim government, led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, announced that general elections will take place in mid-April 2026. The statement, was made on Friday, amid mounting pressure on Noble Laureate. "The Election Commission will provide you with a detailed roadmap for the elections at an appropriate time," said Yunus, who took over as interim head of the South Asian nation of 173 million last August after a student-led uprising forced then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India.
"The government has held discussions with all parties to organise the most free, fair, competitive and acceptable elections in history. In addition, after reviewing the ongoing reform activities related to justice, reform and elections, I am announcing to the people of the country today that the next national elections will be held on a day in the first half of April 2026," The Daily Star quoted Yunus as saying in a televised address.
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Yunus, on several occasions during the past few months, has said that the next elections will take place between December 2025 and June 2026, based on the extent of reforms. However, amid mounting pressure from the opposition parties, he has to announce the poll dates. He said the interim government took office based on the three main mandates of reform, justice and elections- promises that fell flat in the past ten months.
BNP and allied parties insist on holding elections by December. The National Citizen Party (NCP), formed by July uprising leaders, advocates for elections only after reforms are complete.
Jamaat-e-Islami initially aligned with the NCP’s stance but later suggested elections could occur in February before Ramadan. Last week, its leaders indicated a broader window, between December and April.