Bangladesh to hold elections in late 2025 or first half of 2026, says Muhammad Yunus

In a televised address on Victory Day, Yunus said “If political consensus dictates that we have to, and I repeat, ‘have to,’ complete the election with minimal reforms and an accurate voter list, it may be possible to hold the election by the end of 2025,” Bloomberg reported.

The interim government’s chief advisor further added that the election commission should be given sufficient time in order to implement necessary recommendations and improve the electoral process.

Detailing about the possibilities to hold the elections, Yunus said that Bangladesh can go to polls by late 2025 if the voter list is prepared accordingly. However, he added that if broader reforms are taken into consideration then elections would take place by the first half of 2026.

According to a report by The Daily Star, Yunus said “The task is more challenging this time because voters did not participate in the last three elections, and the voter list has not been verified for over 15 years.”

Bangladesh was thrown into a political turmoil earlier this year after Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina was ousted from the prime ministership and she fled the country to India amid anti-government protests to abolish quotas in civil service jobs.