Bangladesh Polls Announcement Likely In August, Yunus Calls For Unity

National elections in Bangladesh are likely to be announced in the first week of August by the country's interim government, according to media reports, with the announcement expected to coincide with the first anniversary of the protests that led to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government.

Chief Adviser of the interim government, Professor Muhammad Yunus, is expected to make the announcement through a national address. Elections to install a government with a political mandate are likely to be held in February next year.

Several political parties in Bangladesh have been pressing for elections, arguing that the interim government lacks a political mandate. Demands for elections by December, however, appear to have been ignored.

Earlier on June 13, Bangladesh Nationalist Party's acting Chairman Tarique Rahman met with Chief Adviser Yunus in London during his official visit to the United Kingdom. In a joint statement following the meeting, Muhammad Yunus had said, "If necessary preparations are completed, the next national election could be held in the week before the beginning of Ramadan in 2026 (early February)."

Notably, pressure has been mounting on Yunus to announce elections, as the country has been without an elected government since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.

The BNP, which is the main political contender following the ban on the Awami League, remains optimistic about the announcement of an election date and timeline. 

Bangladesh daily Prothom Alo quoted BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir saying on Monday, "If the Chief Adviser announces the election date within a couple of days, we will be happy-because that's exactly what we have been demanding."

However, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, a hardline Islamic outfit that has supported Yunus, is reportedly not in favour of announcing an election date at this stage. Critics argue that Yunus has remained in power with the backing of Jamaat-e-Islami. Following the fall of the Hasina government, the ban on Jamaat was lifted, and its registration with the Election Commission was restored, allowing it to contest future elections.

However, Muhammad Yunus has not indicated anything about an election date announcement despite multiple calls to do so. After holding meetings with the political parties on Saturday, he had called for "unity to thwart attempts to disrupt the election."

"If all the forces of the uprising cannot come together to conduct a fair election, this great opportunity will slip through our hands," the Chief Adviser said during a discussion with top leaders of various political parties.

Expressing hope for the cooperation of all political parties to organise a fair election, Muhammad Yunus said, "Whenever we move forward with election preparations, various conspiracies come to light. But the reality is that no conspiracy can obstruct the democratic journey. Because the unity of all democratic forces on the issue of fascism is clear."

Notably, Sheikh Hasina was toppled in a student-led revolution in August 2024 and was charged with crimes against humanity, including incitement, conspiracy, and issuing orders that led to mass killings.