People disappointed with announcement of Bangladesh polls in April 2026: BNP
People are "disappointed" by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus's announcement to hold elections in April 2026, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said on Saturday (June 7, 2025), reiterating the party's demand for polls by December this year.
'People's victory was achieved through the immense sacrifices made by students and the masses during the July uprising. But the unwarranted delay in arranging the election has disappointed and angered the people,' Dhaka Tribune quoted the party as saying in a statement.
The statement said the BNP's national standing committee, in an emergency virtual meeting, reiterated its proposal to hold the election by December this year, taking into consideration Ramzan, secondary and higher secondary or equivalent examinations, and weather conditions.
The meeting, presided over by BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, was convened following the chief adviser's announcement that ignored the aspirations of a nation striving to reclaim its right to vote through prolonged struggles.
'The people of this country, deprived of their basic voting rights for almost a decade and a half, have continued their struggle to restore democracy through voting, despite being disappeared, murdered, imprisoned, injured, and tortured,' it said.
'The meeting believes the people of the country may be rightly concerned about the possibility of a free and fair election under this government.' The BNP standing committee observed that holding the election in early April could lead to complications, both due to adverse weather conditions and the challenges of conducting campaigns and election-related activities during Ramadan, which may ultimately be used as grounds for deferring the polls.
It said the chief adviser's address did not provide any clear justification as to why holding the election by December would not be feasible.
It said Yunus in his speech touched upon issues like ports and corridors — topics that did not fall within the interim government's three mandates - justice, reform and elections.
'The meeting expressed anger at his choice of words in the speech, which crossed the limits of political decorum,' the statement said.
Mr. Yunus, who took charge after the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League regime in August last year, said the interim government's key responsibility was to hold a clean, peaceful, festive, and inclusive election.
Mr. Yunus's announcement comes amid mounting pressure from former prime minister Khaleda Zia's BNP and several other groups to hold the election by December.
The student-led NCP and several rightwing groups, however, said the polls must wait until the 'reforms' and 'justice' were done.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Gazette
33 minutes ago
- India Gazette
"Yunus has taken this decision without consulting parties": Former High Commissioner of India on elections in Bangladesh
New Delhi [India], June 8 (ANI): Former High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Veena Sikri said that the announcement of elections in the first half of April, next year by Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser to the interim government of Bangladesh is 'controversial' and said the decision was taken without consulting the parties. Sikri told ANI a day earlier, 'I think this announcement is controversial due to some reasons -- some political parties have opposed it, even BMP themselves wanted it earlier by December. He has taken this decision without consulting the parties. He has talked about reforms, but he is not a constitutional government, so there is no reason for such a government to do reforms' The former envoy said the neighbouring country must have early elections and that the Bangladesh Army has yet to react to the announcement. 'They must have early elections, and then the elected government will look at what reforms they want. The Army has not said anything so far about the decision. The most important thing is how the elections will be conducted, as he cannot head the caretaker govt because in his govt there are political party representatives, including representatives of Islami Andolan Bangladesh.' On June 6, the Bangladesh interim government announced that the national election would be held in the first half of April 2026. 'I am announcing to the countrymen today that the next national elections will be held sometime in the first half of April 2026. Based on this announcement, the Election Commission will provide you with a detailed roadmap for the elections in due course', said Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser to the interim government of Bangladesh, in an address to the nation through state television, BTV, on the eve of Eid-ul-Azha. The announcement of the national election is a major development for Bangladesh politics after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government in August 2024. (ANI)
United News of India
4 hours ago
- United News of India
Senior BNP leader says elections should be held in December 2025, and not April next year
Dhaka, June 7 (UNI) Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) General Secretary Mirza Fakhrul Islam, reiterating his party's stance on the national polls, said that elections should be held in December 2025, and the proposed April 2026 date is not viable for holding polls. Citing adverse weather, Ramadan, and public examinations as his reasons, the BNP leader said: "The time (April) is not the right time for elections in Bangladesh. There is a risk of extreme heat, storms, and rain. Ramadan… and public examinations will also be taking place. It seems that not much thought has been given to this timeframe." Chief Advisor Mohammed Yunus had announced April 2026 as the date for holding the national polls, which the party described as a "disappointing" decision, The Daily Star reported. The party claimed that the 84-year-old CA's decision was aimed at "appeasing a select group of political parties", alluding to the hardline Islamic fundamentalist groups like Jamaat-e-Islami, and the National Citizen Party, who said that no polls can be held until "justice" is not delivered to the "martyrs" of the July Uprising. "BNP has been demanding elections by December, which reflected the peoples' expectations. We believe elections can be held in December, and that would be the most suitable time for the nation," he added. Upon the announcement by CA Yunus, the BNP Standing Committee noted that he did not provide any clear justification as to why holding the election by December would not be feasible, and instead touched upon topics like construction of ports and foreign policy issues – subjects that did not fall under an interim government's ambit. "The BNP has repeatedly said that it wants elections as soon as possible. We had hoped that Dr Muhammad Yunus would announce the election date by December. But undoubtedly, not only the BNP, but the entire nation has been disappointed by the announcement of elections in April," he told reporters. UNI ANV RN
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
7 hours ago
- Business Standard
People 'disappointed' with announcement of B'desh polls in April 2026: BNP
People are "disappointed" by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus's announcement to hold elections in April 2026, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said on Saturday, asserting that April is not the "right time" to conduct polls. The party reiterated its demand for polls by December this year. "April is not the right time for polls in Bangladesh in any way, BNP Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told journalists. His statement came a day after Yunus, during a televised address to the nation on the eve of the Eid-ul-Adha festival, announced that national elections would be held in the first half of April next year. Yunus' announcement was followed by an urgent virtual meeting of the standing committee of former prime minister Khaleda Zia's BNP, presided over by the party's acting chairman and Zia's son Tarique Rahman from London. In a statement, the BNP said Yunus' address meant an unwarranted delay in arranging the election, adding that it ignored the nation's aspirations, causing people disappointment and anger. The meeting concluded that the election in early April could lead to complications -- both due to adverse weather conditions and the challenges of conducting campaigns and election-related activities during Ramadanwhich may ultimately be used as grounds for deferring the polls. Reiterating the party's proposal to hold the election by December this year, it said the chief adviser's address did not provide any clear justification as to why conducting the election by then would not be feasible. The BNP statement alleged despite being a non-partisan interim government, the Yunus administration put its own neutrality into question by becoming influenced by a particular political quarter, an oblique reference to the student-led National Citizen Party (NCP). According to the statement, the scenario suggests the interim government compromises its neutrality and raises public concerns over the possibility of a free and fair election. The meeting believes the people of the country may be rightly concerned about the possibility of a free and fair election under this government, it said. It said Yunus, in his speech, touched upon issues like ports and corridors topics that did not fall within the interim government's three mandates - justice, reform and elections. The meeting expressed anger at his choice of words in the speech, which crossed the limits of political decorum, the statement said. Yunus, who took charge after the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League regime in August last year, said the interim government's key responsibility was to hold a clean, peaceful, festive, and inclusive election. Yunus's announcement comes amid mounting pressure from the BNP and several other groups to hold the election by December. The NCP and several rightwing groups, however, said the polls must wait until the reforms and justice were done.
