'Impatient Politicians': Yunus Sets June 2026 Deadline For Bangladesh Polls, Cites Reforms
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Muhammad Yunus said that the potential timeline for the next national polls could be as early as December 2025 or by June 2026 at the latest.
Amid escalating public and political demands for fresh elections in Bangladesh, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus said that the nation's next general election could take place anytime between December of this year and June 2026.
Bangladesh's interim government advisor, currently on an official trip to Japan, made the announcement while addressing a public gathering in Tokyo as a massive rally was held in Dhaka by the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which called for the restoration of what they termed the 'political rights of the youth."
What Muhammad Yunus Said On Elections In Bangladesh
Muhammad Yunus said that the potential timeline for the next national polls could be as early as December 2025 or by June 2026 at the latest. The schedule is contingent on the progress of electoral and governance reforms his administration is undertaking, he said.
Acknowledging the impatience among political factions, Muhammad Yunus, said, 'When elections take place an elected government takes over responsibility and we hand it over to them. People are insisting to tell them when the elections would be because the politicians are very impatient, to get to their seats of power. So I have been promising them for some time. It could be in December this year or at the latest June of 2026, so six months gap, depending on how fast we can do the reforms."
He further elaborated on the flexibility of the timeline, saying, 'If the reforms are slow and accomplish little then we have a longer time. And the longer time cannot continue endlessly. Must finish it up by June 2026. So this is the timeline we are working on."
The BNP staged large-scale rallies across multiple cities, including the capital, Dhaka, intensifying their demand for national elections to be held by December. BNP Acting Chairperson Tarique Rahman issued a stern warning to the interim government, urging them not to postpone the election timeline.
Tarique Rahman took to X (formerly Twitter) to emphasize the importance of genuine democratic commitment over mere textual reforms, saying, 'I often make a point that bears repeating: reforming individual mindsets is far more important than reforming texts or institutions on paper. After all, the constitution of North Korea proclaims the country to be the 'Democratic People's Republic of Korea'. The words may be there, but it is adherence, not articulation, that defines democratic integrity,"
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First Published:
May 29, 2025, 08:34 IST
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