Bangladesh Will Hold General Elections In First Half of April 2026: Yunus

New Delhi: Bangladesh will hold its first general election after the violent ouster of Sheikh Hasina last year in the first half of April 2026, by which time there will be “visible progress” in her trial on charges of crimes against humanity, chief adviser Muhammad Yunus said.

“I am announcing to the people of the country today that the next national elections will be held on a day in the first half of April 2026,” said Yunus in a televised speech on Friday (June 6), a day ahead of Eid-ul-Adha, as quoted by the Daily Star.

His announcement comes even as all activity by Hasina's Awami League party remains banned pending the resolution of cases against it and its leadership.

Other important players in the country such as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the army chief have pushed for elections by the end of this year.

With the Awami League out of the race, the main contenders are the BNP of Khaleda Zia, the newly created National Citizen Party formed by leaders of the July 2024 uprising against Sheikh Hasina, and the Jamaat-e-Islami.

Having noted that his interim administration took charge on the basis of the ‘three mandates’ of “reform, justice and elections”, Yunus said that he believed “we will be able to reach to an acceptable position in terms of reform and justice by the next Eid al-Fitr”, that is by April next year, as per the state-run BSS news agency.

In particular, “all will be able to see visible progress on the trial of crimes against humanity – which is the government's collective responsibility towards the martyrs of the July mass uprising,” he added, referring to those who were killed amid the uprising against Hasina's rule that began as protests against student quotas in July last year.

The country's Election Commission will provide a “detailed roadmap” at an “appropriate time”, he added.

Yunus also said his administration has “discussed with all parties” the issue of organising “the most free, fair, competitive and acceptable elections in history”.

He continued: “We want elections that will satisfy the souls of the martyrs of the uprising and bring peace to their souls. We want the largest number of voters, candidates and parties to participate in the next elections.”

Though he did not name the Awami League or Hasina he appeared to rail against their “fascist” rule, saying that “every time Bangladesh has plunged into a deep crisis since independence, the main reason has been flawed elections”.

“A political party became a barbaric fascist by repeatedly grabbing power through a flawed election process. Those who organise such elections become criminals before the nation. The party that comes to power through such elections is also hated by the people,” the BBC's Bangla service quoted him as saying.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate and economist also exhorted citizens to “obtain specific commitments” from all political parties that they would enact reforms on which consensus had been reached when they convene in parliament and that they would “never, under any circumstances, violate your democratic rights and human dignity”.

Yunus's interim administration took office in August after Hasina fled Dhaka as violent protesters marched toward her residence.

Hundreds of people were reportedly killed in Hasina's crackdown on the two-month-long protests against her rule.

She has been in India ever since she fled Bangladesh despite Dhaka making requests for her extradition to face charges of crimes against humanity in the country's so-called International Crimes Tribunal.

Yunus had announced late last year that Bangladesh could hold general elections by the end of 2025 or in the first half of 2026.

He said that if the voter list could be accurately prepared with minimal reforms, then elections could take place in 2025. But if broader reforms based on national consensus are to be implemented the timeline could extend to the first half of 2026, the Daily Star had cited him as saying.

Meanwhile, the country's army chief, General Waker-uz-Zaman, said last month that general elections should be held by the end of this year and that only an elected government could bring political stability to Bangladesh.

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