• Source:JND
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In a nationally televised address on the first anniversary of the popular uprising that toppled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus announced that Bangladesh will hold its next general elections in February 2026, ahead of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

Yunus, who heads the interim government, made the announcement via state-run television channel BTV and national radio, marking a significant shift from his earlier proposal to hold elections in April 2026. The revised timeline follows weeks of consultations with major political stakeholders, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, which had pushed for an earlier vote.

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Official Request To Election Commission

“On behalf of the interim government, I will write to the Chief Election Commissioner, requesting that the Election Commission organise a national election in February 2026, before the next Ramadan,” Yunus said.

He added that the nation was entering the "final and most important phase" of its democratic transition. “We will all begin mental preparation and institutional arrangements from tomorrow to complete all preparations so that this year's election is memorable in the country’s history in terms of joy and celebration, peace and order, voter turnout, and cordiality.” The month of Ramadan is expected to begin around February 17 or 18, 2026, prompting the interim administration to advance the polls accordingly.

Yunus’s Rise Amid Political Upheaval

Yunus, a renowned economist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate for his pioneering work in microfinance, was sworn in as head of the interim government on August 8, 2024, just days after President Mohammed Shahabuddin dissolved the national parliament. His appointment came in the wake of months-long protests, spearheaded by student activists and opposition groups, demanding the resignation of Hasina’s government.

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A new political party, the National Citizen Party, emerged from the student-led uprising and has been actively campaigning for democratic reforms and early elections. Yunus was flanked by senior leaders of various parties during his address, including those from BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami,  signaling a rare moment of unity in Bangladesh’s typically polarised political landscape.

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