Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus has directed relevant authorities to complete all preparations for the upcoming national election by December.
Yunus gathered his top security chiefs at the Jamuna state guest house on Wednesday for a crucial meeting on the country’s future.
The agenda was clear: preparing for a national election. He floated a tentative timeline, suggesting the vote could happen as early as February or as late as April, and the core of the discussion was whether the assembled forces—from the national police and Rab to the Coast Guard—were prepared to ensure a peaceful process.
This is not the first time Yunus has indicated an early 2026 election. On the eve of Eid-ul-Azha, he publicly mentioned April as a likely window. But Wednesday’s comments marked a shift in tone, suggesting a more accelerated timeline.
“Later, we informed that if preparations are completed and reforms implemented, the election could be held before Ramadan — possibly in February,” Yunus said, as relayed by his press secretary Shafiqul Alam during a late-night briefing.
The anticipated holy month of Ramadan is expected to begin in the third week of February.
The adviser’s reference to February is not without precedent. On June 13, following a meeting in London with Tarique Rahman, acting chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Yunus acknowledged that a pre-Ramadan vote was feasible, provided logistical and institutional reforms were in place.
“Everything needed to build the institutional framework for the election must begin now,” Yunus emphasized.
The precise election date remains undecided, but the new directive puts pressure on administrative and electoral bodies to accelerate reforms and planning in the months ahead.
No official election commission timeline has yet been released.
