Bangladesh will hold general elections in February 2026, says Muhammad Yunus
During a televised speech marking a year since the ouster of the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina-led government, Yunus said he would formally request the Election Commission to schedule the vote before the start of Ramadan, which is expected to begin on February 17 or 18 next year.
In June, he had announced that elections would be held in April 2026. However, the date was advanced amid growing pressure from major political parties, AFP reported.
Yunus, a Nobel laureate economist, took over as chief adviser of Bangladesh's interim government three days after Hasina resigned as the prime minister and fled to India on August 5. Hasina fled after several weeks of widespread student-led protests against her Awami League government.
She was ousted from power after being the prime minister of Bangladesh for 16 years.
Yunus has pledged to step down once an elected government takes office.
'We will step into the final and most important phase after delivering this speech to you, and that is the transfer of power to an elected government,' he was quoted as saying by AFP.
The interim chief also unveiled the 'July Declaration', which promises full state and constitutional recognition of the 2024 student protests, The Daily Star reported.
He said that it was essential to ensure 'no future government can become fascist again', Prothom Alo reported.
'We do not have to wait 16 years and many people do not have to die and we do not need another mass uprising,' he said.
On July 10, Hasina was indicted by the country's International Crimes Tribunal for crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the protests against her government in July 2024 and August 2024.
Hasina has been charged with having instigated mass killings during protests against her Awami League government.
In February, a United Nations report on the violence said that the Hasina government, the country's security and intelligence services and 'violent elements' associated with her Awami League party had 'systematically engaged in a range of serious human rights violations' during the agitation.
Of the 1,400 killed and thousands injured between July 1, 2024, and August 15, 2024, the vast majority were shot by Bangladesh's security forces, the UN report said. Of these, 12% to 13% killed were children.
Hasina has denied the allegations and claimed that she is being politically persecuted.
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