On Friday, Bangladesh’s interim head of government indicated that the national election could take place as early as February next year, bringing it forward by two months from the originally planned schedule.
Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel peace laureate who has led an interim government since August, was responding to a suggestion from Tarique Rahman, acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who urged the vote be held before Ramadan, which begins in mid-February 2026.
Yunus responded positively, saying an election could be held in the week before Ramadan if sufficient progress was made on political and judicial reforms.
The comments came in a joint statement released after the two men met in London.
Yunus, currently on a visit to Britain, last week said the election would be held by the first half of April 2026.
Yunus stressed that the interim government’s foremost duty is to deliver a credible and peaceful election.
“The necessary groundwork is being laid to ensure that the election is free, fair, and truly reflective of the people’s will,” Yunus said.
First Election Since Mass Protests
This will be the first general election in Bangladesh since the mass protest movement of 2024 that led to the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina administration, ushering in a new political chapter for Bangladesh under Yunus’s transitional leadership.
However, pressure has been mounting from opposition groups for an earlier vote, with the BNP warning of public unrest if elections were delayed beyond December.
Yunus’ administration, which came to power after deadly student-led protests forced then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India, has recently faced growing discontent.
BNP chief Khaleda Zia was acquitted in January in a long-running corruption case, clearing her path to contest the upcoming election. Rahman is Zia’s son.
Meanwhile, Hasina’s Awami League party has been effectively sidelined after its registration was suspended by the Election Commission and its activities banned under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
(With inputs from Reuters)
