Dhaka: The opposition parties of Bangladesh have increased the pressure on the interim government to hold elections. Meanwhile, the supreme leader of the interim government, Mohammad Yunus, has set the deadline for elections in Bangladesh. He has announced during his Japan visit that national elections in Bangladesh can be held between December this year and June 2026. Yunus's remarks came at the same time when the Bangladesh Nationalist Party organized a huge rally in Dhaka demanding elections. In this rally, BNP leaders fiercely targeted Mohammad Yunus. He accused Yunus of messing with Bangladesh's foreign policy.
What Yunus said on elections
Meanwhile, addressing a public gathering in Tokyo, the capital of Japan, Mohammad Yunus acknowledged the call for elections and said they could be held as early as December 2025. He said, "When elections are held an elected government takes responsibility, and we hand it over to them. People are insisting on telling them when the elections will be held because 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 in June of 2026, so a gap of six months, depending on how fast we can carry out reforms."
Yunus hiding behind the guise of electoral reforms
The Dhaka Tribune quoted Yunus as saying, "If the reforms are slow and nothing is achieved then we have a long time. And a long time cannot go on endlessly. It has to be completed by June 2026." Mohammad Yunus has previously been accused of deliberately holding back from holding elections in Bangladesh. However, Mohammad Yunus has been defending his decision under the guise of electoral reform.
BNP targets Yunus
The BNP has increased pressure on the interim government, saying the date for the next election is yet to be announced. "Excuses are already being made regarding national elections. Even after 10 months, the interim government has not announced the date of elections," BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman said in a video message. Rahman said that in the past, elections have been held within three months of the caretaker government. However, after Sheikh Hasina's resignation, the Yunus-led government has not yet decided on elections. Joining the rally through a virtual platform from London, Rahman further said, "National elections should be held by December. Preparations should start immediately."
