Elections Possible Between Dec 2025 and Mar 2026: CA

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has said Bangladesh’s general elections will take place between December 2025 and March 2026, depending on the pace of necessary reforms to ensure free and fair polls.

"If reforms can be completed as quickly as we intend, the elections will be held in December. However, if a more extensive reform process is required, it may take a few additional months," he told the BBC in a recent interview.

Reflecting on his unexpected rise to power, Yunus said he was "dazzled" when asked to lead the interim government after long-serving Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted last year.

"I had no idea I’d be leading the government," he admitted.

He emphasised that restoring law and order and stabilising the economy were his administration’s top priorities.

It remains unclear whether Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India following her removal, or her Awami League party will contest the upcoming elections. She is wanted in Bangladesh for alleged crimes against humanity, according to a BBC report released today.

"They (the Awami League) have to decide whether they want to participate. I cannot make that decision for them," Yunus stated, adding that the Election Commission is responsible for determining eligibility for the polls.

Highlighting the dire state of the country, he remarked, "Peace and order are paramount, followed by economic recovery. The economy is shattered, devastated—it's as if a tornado raged for 16 years, leaving us to pick up the pieces."

Sheikh Hasina was elected prime minister in 2009, and her Awami League government faced widespread allegations of human rights abuses, including the suppression of dissent and the persecution of political opponents.

A student-led uprising ultimately forced her from office in August. At the protesters’ request, Prof Yunus returned to Bangladesh to lead the interim administration.

"We inherited complete disorder," Yunus said, referring to the violent protests that engulfed Bangladesh last summer. "People were being shot and killed," he recalled.

However, despite nearly seven months in office, law and order in Dhaka remain fragile, with many residents expressing frustration over the lack of progress, the BBC reported.

"Better is a relative term," Yunus responded. "Compared to the same time last year, things appear stable," he added.

Public outrage against Sheikh Hasina’s government persists. Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets, demanding her prosecution for the deadly crackdown on student demonstrators.

A Bangladeshi court has issued an arrest warrant for Hasina, but India has yet to respond.

Responding to claims from Awami League members that they no longer feel safe in Bangladesh, Yunus defended his administration.

"There is a judicial system in place. They can go to the police and file complaints," he asserted. "You don’t just voice grievances to a BBC correspondent—you go through legal channels and let the law take its course."

The US government's decision to cut foreign aid and suspend most programmes under the US Agency for International Development (USAID) is expected to impact Bangladesh.

"It’s their decision," Yunus commented. "But in some ways, it has been helpful. They were tackling issues like corruption, which we couldn’t afford to address immediately."

The United States is the third-largest provider of official development assistance to Bangladesh, having pledged $450 million last year.

When asked how Bangladesh would compensate for the shortfall, Yunus remained unfazed.

"When it happens, we will make do," he said.