Yunus Hints At Early Elections For Bangladesh, Around February 2026, But...
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Muhammad Yunus mentioned that the feasibility of this earlier schedule hinges on 'enough progress' being made on essential political reforms in the coming months
In a significant development for Bangladesh's political landscape, interim leader Muhammad Yunus has suggested that the country's next national elections could occur as early as the week before Ramadan begins in February 2026. This expedited timeline follows his recent announcement that the polls would take place around April next year. Yunus mentioned that the feasibility of this earlier schedule hinges on 'enough progress" being made on essential political reforms in the coming months.
The statement was released jointly from Yunus's office after a high-profile meeting in London with Tarique Rahman, the acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). As the main opposition party, the BNP's active participation is crucial for the legitimacy and inclusivity of the upcoming elections. This meeting signals a potential easing of political tensions and a willingness among key stakeholders to engage in discussions about the electoral process.
Although Yunus did not provide specific details about the reforms, they are generally understood to include measures to ensure free, fair, and credible elections. For years, the BNP and its allies have demanded a neutral caretaker government to oversee the elections, a major point of contention that led to the party boycotting the general elections in 2014 and 2018. While Yunus heads an interim administration in Bangladesh, the focus on 'reforms" suggests ongoing discussions about the independence of the electoral commission, voter registration processes, and ensuring equal opportunities for all political parties.
The timing of the elections, scheduled before Ramadan, is also a critical factor. Holding elections prior to the holy month would allow for a dedicated campaign period and polling without the logistical and social complexities that often arise during Ramadan, which begins around late February or early March in 2026.
The polls will take place without the participation of the Awami League, Bangladesh's former ruling party, which remains banned under Yunus's government.
Earlier this month, prosecutors officially charged former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with crimes against humanity for her alleged role in violent crackdowns during the 2024 uprising.
(With agency inputs)
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June 14, 2025, 04:40 IST
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That may still happen if the Yunus dispensation discovers new reasons and justifications to put off the promised poll by the promised time. Yet, the general belief is that even if the army took over power in Bangladesh now or a little later, as long as the incumbent continues in that place, he would use the occasion only to hand over power to an elected dispensation as soon as possible. Since the political coup in August last year, there are enough indications that the instability outside has not rocked the boat with the armed forces. That is saying a lot. Whether it is a civilian rule now or a military dispensation – for argument's sake – the nation's economy is so messy that no one wants to step in. Unlike the Pakistani parent, with which Yunus is getting uncomfortably chummy along with China, the armed forces in Bangladesh, while being powerful, do not have as many business interests. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD More importantly, a couple of decades of democracy – including the controversial later part under Hasina – have sort of imbibed the values of the people. Even the anti-Hasina protests were for more democracy, which is why it succeeded more than the plotters from outside the country and perpetrators from within might have imagined. Thus, even interest groups in the armed forces desirous of perpetuating a fundamentalist religious agenda for the nation seem clear about having to live with democracy and hence Gen Uz-Zaman, too. Yet, there is no denying that there are those radical/extremist elements in the armed forces, too, but their numbers seem to be 'manageable'. Strong second line Team Yunus has already banned Awami League from entering the election fray. A free and fair election cannot happen unless the AL is restored the freedom to contest, even if Hasina is not given the option to return home as a free bird. 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It is still questionable if their leaders would have the experience and expertise to run an elected government in difficult times, especially given their radicalism and prejudices – including against India. Desecrating Tagore Yunus' pushing the army's deadline for early elections by six months seems also to obtain time for the student groups to organise themselves into a political party. It is not just about the organisational structure alone. It is a mind-set that they need to change. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It is about learning new things that most of them are unfamiliar with. Today, they are running a government under duress, as independent bureaucrats are too scared to give their considered view on issues. The continued desecration, first of Hasina's father, 'Bangabandhu' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's statue, and now targeting the hereditary properties of Rabindranath Tagore, displays the kind of warped mindset that is at work. 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Indications were that the army too desired the same but has not come out in the open with its agenda for free and inclusive elections – in which they should show interest for sure. Without Sheikh Hasina, the field is wide open for the BNP and Khaleda on the one side and multiple groups that want to form a political party on the other. This is not to forget the entrenched fundamentalist outfit in the Jamaat, which may not want to dissolve its historic identity and opportunity in a small coterie that does not know where to go next. This raises more questions than answers. Traditional sphere The clock began ticking for Bangladesh as a nation long ago, when the economy began losing its earlier gains, mainly due to the Covid lockdown – but never retrieved lost ground. The anti-Hasina protests were thus timed for channelising the anti-incumbency against her government, where democracy deficit was only one aspect. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Hasina has since named names about those behind the plot against her. She has conceded earlier speculation that she was toppled because she refused to hand over St Martin Island to the US for military purposes. From an Indian perspective, any US interest in St Martin Island or any such move aimed at possessing a strategic asset in and around India's 'traditional sphere of influence' is only one rung below the Chinese attitude and approach in such matters. Unlike China, which dumps good money after bad, the US continues to do it through arm-twisting, one way or the other. In recent times, as witnessed in Sri Lanka two years prior to the 'Bangladesh revolution', US interests, as different from their Western friends and counterparts, have made 'mass-uprising' a cause for 'regime-change' when their camp-followers for the present especially are not popular enough to win elections and capture power through democratic means. Street anarchy seems to be their way; in the current edition, after earlier, poll-based attempts at 'regime change' did not produce the desired results. In a small way, India is caught between the US and China, which are fighting their war of supremacy in India's waters, in India's region, without firing a single shot as yet. They are loath to do it in their common Pacific Ocean region, which they seem to want to leave undisturbed and unmolested as long as they can. Nations like Bangladesh in our neighbourhood become chosen yet unwitting victims of the same. That is the larger picture for you – but then, when it comes to mending the smaller picture, where it all should still begin, it is in the hands of Bangladeshis, the political class, armed forces and the rest of them all included! The writer is a Chennai-based Policy Analyst & Political Commentator. Email: sathiyam54@ Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.
