Muhammad Yunus, Interim Bangladesh Government Chief Advisor, has cautioned against possible moves to sabotage next year's national elections, while reiterating that the polls will go ahead as scheduled in the first half of February 2026, with the transfer of power to the elected government, local media reported.
Yunus made the statement on Tuesday night after a meeting with leaders of seven political parties and the firebrand Islamist outfit Hefazat-e-Islam at his official residence, Jamuna, in Dhaka.
“Those who do not want the interim government to reach the stage of election will obstruct the process in every possible way,” Chief Advisor’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam quoted Yunus as saying during the meeting, Bangladesh’s newspaper The Daily Star reported.
“Their utmost effort will be to foil the election and create such a situation that the election cannot be held. Some signs of these are already visible,” the chief advisor added, cautioning that “more will follow.” “We have to be more vigilant,” he told the leaders.
“The election will be held in the first half of February. We will transfer power to an elected government,” Yunus stressed.
Leaders from Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party, Ganosamhati Andolan, Gono Odhikar Parishad, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Nagarok Oikya Islami Andolon Bangladesh, Jatiya Gono Front, and Hefazat-e-Islam attended the meeting.
After discussion, AB Party Chairman Mojibur Rahman Monju complained about Bangladesh's governance and law enforcement.
Referring to the recent violent clashes in Chittagong University involving students and locals, Monju said, “The Chittagong University incident revealed a lack of coordination between the government and law enforcement agencies. Unless this is fixed, doubts about the election will persist.”
“He (Yunus) himself said there is no one in his team with experience in conducting a neutral election. We recommended appointing those with such experience, even on a contractual basis. The chief advisor has said any election is a challenge, and there is no alternative to facing it together,” Monju further added.
LDP Secretary General Redwan Ahmed also urged the Yunus government to strictly keep politics out of the next polls.
Earlier this week, Yunus separately received the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the hardline Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami, and the National Citizen Party (NCP) at his official residence, amidst severe party divisions regarding the timing of elections and reforms.
"There is no alternative to election. If anyone thinks of any other alternative, that would be disastrous for the nation" Press Secretary Alam quoted Yunus as saying.
They demanded that the July Charter be implemented prior to the holding of the elections, while BNP argued that the polls had to take place within the stipulated time frame with no room for delay.
Bangladesh has been in a state of uncertainty regarding the country's next general elections ever since the democratically elected Awami League administration headed by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was removed through violent protests last year.
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