'Want To Celebrate It Like Eid': Yunus After Announcing Elections In February

A year after former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was toppled from power and left the country, Bangladesh has announced national elections.

Professor Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Adviser of the Interim Government of Bangladesh has said elections will be concluded before Ramazan next year.

"Now it is the time to fulfill our last responsibility. The festival of elections. On this great day, after I make this statement before you, we will enter our final and most important phase. We will start the process of handing over power to an elected government. On behalf of the Interim Government, I will send a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner stating that the Election Commission in the month of February 2026, before the next Ramazan, arrange for the National Election," Muhammad Yunus said.

"I want all of you to pray for a beautiful election so that every citizen can move forward towards building a new Bangladesh. On behalf of the government, we will offer cooperation and support so that this election is proper, peaceful and held in a festive spirit. We hope that this election is peaceful, festive and participatory for voters and held with grace and insight so that it is etched in the history of the country. That is why from tomorrow all of us will mentally and administratively start preparing for it," he added.

Muhammad Yunus has said there will be provisions for expat Bangladeshis to vote in the upcoming election. He said Bangladesh has been able to tackle the impact of the economic blow the nation suffered because of remittances from abroad. "The Election Commission is preparing to ensure that they can participate in the election." Yunus said during his 34-minute televised address. Yunus also appealed for female voters to come out in huge numbers and vote.

Yunus blamed the previous Sheikh Hasina regime for not allowing citizens to exercise their right to vote. He also said first time voters and those who have not been able to vote for the last 15 years. "We want to celebrate election day like we celebrate Eid," Muhammad Yunus added.

Yunus also alleged that external forces would make efforts to disrupt the elections. "You are aware that there is a group that wants to create hindrances in holding elections. To hinder Bangladesh's democratic journey, they are sitting outside the country and trying to create internal disturbances. We have to be mindful that they do not get an opportunity to orchestrate clashes during elections. Remember the forces that fled will try and raise their heads till the night of the elections. But if we can organise a peaceful, fair and successful election, the defeat of these bad forces will be final."

The Bangladesh Awami League which was ousted from power last year has been banned from contesting the election. However, it says it will continue to fight. In a statement Sheikh Hasina said, "One year ago today, our nation witnessed the violent interruption of our hard-fought democracy, as an unelected regime seized power through unconstitutional means. It was a dark moment in our history, an affront to the will of the people, and a betrayal of the trust between citizens and the state. While they may have taken power, they will never take away our spirit, our resolve, or our destiny. I can assure you of that." 

"Let us never forget that power belongs to the people, and no regime can suppress the will of a nation forever. Our struggle is not over, but our cause is just. We must continue to stand for justice, for economic opportunity, for education, for peace, and for a nation where no one lives in fear", Hasina added.

"Together, we will rebuild what has been broken. Together, we will reclaim the institutions that were taken from us. And together, we will write a new chapter, one defined not by oppression, but by hope, progress, and freedom. Let this anniversary not be a day of retrospection, but a rallying cry for a brighter tomorrow. Bangladesh has overcome adversity before, and we will rise again, stronger, more united, and more determined to build a democracy that truly serves its people," Hasina said while referring to the ongoing developments in Bangladesh.

Tarique Rahman, the Acting Chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the main opposition party during the Hasina regime said, "In the immediate aftermath of 5th August, 2024, a date that will be remembered as the day one of the most reviled authoritarian figures in Bangladesh's history fled the country, I extended my congratulations to the courageous people whose unwavering resolve made this moment possible. At the time, I remarked that a victory is made truly noble when even the defeated can find safety and dignity in its wake."

"Today, I reiterate that message, urging all democracy-loving citizens of Bangladesh to uphold the principles of justice and restraint. Let no one take the law into their own hands. Let us not glorify mob violence. Let there be no acts of aggression against women. Let us honour one another's freedoms and dignity," Rahman added. The BNP had boycotted the 2024 National Election alleging it was rigged by the Hasina regime.

At a time when minorities have been facing attacks, especially the Hindu community in Bangladesh, Tarique Rahman pitched for an inclusive Bangladesh. "In this long and difficult journey toward fulfilling that noble promise, both I and my party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-BNP, seek the continued support and solidarity of all those who believe in democracy, justice, and the future of a truly inclusive Bangladesh," Rahman said.