Bangladesh: Yunus Says Next Election Likely By 2026, Depends Upon Political Consensus, Reforms

Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Monday said the next general 🐼election in the country c🧸ould take place by the end of 2025 or the first half of 2026.

Explaining the delay Yunus said, the authorities of the interim government will have to verif൲y the voters list and add new names is a critical step🧸 in the election process and this extensive work will require a lot of time and he also claimed that it wasn't done transparently in the last 15 years under the Hasina government.

He, however added that the timing of the election will largely depend upon the political consensus and the extent of the reforms that must♑ be carried out prior to it.

Yunus, who heads the caretaker gove🎃rnment installed after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s government on August 5 following a student-led uprising, said that there is no room for making any mistake as after a long time, many young people will vote for the first time, adding that in the past, 🥀they were deprived of that right and joy.

Yunus was speaking on occasion of Vijay Diwas.

Vijay Diwas commemorates the Pakistan military's surrender to ♎Indian ꦬforces. India's historic victory led to the liberation of Bangladesh.

Yunus in his televised speech s🤡aid, "Broadly speaking, the election can be scheduled between the end of 2025 and the first half of 2026."

He then explained💎 that delay behind the next elections as he repeatedly appealed to all to hold th𒅌e polls after completing all the major reforms.

"However, if, due to political consensus, we have to hold the election on the basis oꦅf a flawless preparation of the voter list with minor reforms, then it may be p༒ossible to hold the elections by the end of 2025," United News of Bangladesh quoted Yunus as saying.

"And if we add to this the expected level of reforms in the electoral process and in light of th൲e recommendations of the Election Reforms Com🐈mission and based on the national consensus, then it may take at least another six months," said Yunus.

Speaking about the responsibilities of the൩ authorities in the caretaker government regarding the polls, he said, "From now on, the responsibility has been entrusted to them to start the process of forming the fu🔜ture government. They have started their preparations. They have a lot of work to do."

Yunus claimed that no one has had the opportunity to ve♚rify the voters' list in the past during Hasina government.

"We have to make sure that the names of all those who have become eligible to vote in the last 15 years are included in the voters' list. This is a big task," he sa🐲id.