National Elections in Bangladesh by Mid-February

Bangladesh is going for national elections by mid-February 2026, as declared by its caretaker government head Dr Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday evening while addressing the nation on live television. Meanwhile, the trial of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is taking a temporary shelter in India, began and seemingly her party Awami League will get an opportunity to participate in the forthcoming  polls (as its party activities were banned in the south  Asian nation). One can remember, the daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman left Dhaka on 5 August 2024 after a mass uprising across the Muslim dominated country of 170 million people. The lone Bangladeshi  Nobel laureate Professor Yunus, who earned global fame for micro-finance and social business initiatives, was appointed as the head of interim government in Dhaka on 8 August last year. With many agendas in front of the interim administration, the primary objective was to pave the way for Jatiya Sansad polls conducted in a free, fair and comprehensive manner.

Prof Yunus began his speech by reminding how 5 August last year witnessed the culmination of July People’s Uprising Day that helped the ‘beloved homeland’ to escape from a long period of fascist rule. While narrating in his native Bengali language, the soft-spoken gentleman stated how a court verdict (in June 2024) reinstated the quota system in government jobs, which angered the students and young people of Bangladesh. An  erupted outrage turned into a wildfire, fueled by the tyranny, repression, indiscriminate shootings, and brutal killings carried out by the regime. But in the face of this state-sponsored massacre, carried out at the command of a despotic ruler, the students, workers, and masses of this nation stood firm and fearless. At the forefront of this movement, the indomitable Bangladeshi women selflessly gave their lives to free the country from tyranny, he added.

“On this day, I solemnly remember the martyrs of July, the shining sons and daughters of our nation. To those who were injured, permanently disabled, or lost their vision in July, I extend my deepest respect and gratitude on behalf of the entire nation. Over the past year, we have passed through many crises and possibilities. Several incidents and tragedies have deeply saddened us. Most recently, the heartbreaking plane crash at Milestone College claimed the lives of many people, including our innocent children. Many were injured in the resulting fire. This tragedy has left the entire nation in shock. I pray for the peace of the souls who lost their lives in this incident and wish a swift recovery to those still under medical care. Following this horrific accident, doctors and nurses from countries including Singapore, China, and India have worked tirelessly to help the injured. I extend my sincere gratitude to them,” said Prof Yunus.

Claiming that since the July Uprising, Bangladesh has come a long way. Peace and order have returned to national life, the economy has regained momentum, and many crises have been resolved. A year ago while  the interim government took over, the country aced an devastated economy following  sixteen years of continuous destruction and plundering. But within a year, the country has made progress beyond what anyone could have imagined, asserted the economist of international repute, adding the economy has turned around and now it’s time to move forward. The caretaker government now plans to hand over the reins of governance to an elected one. However, Prof Yunus reiterated, before the election, several essential tasks need to be  completed.
“We had three primary responsibilities namely Reform, Justice, and Election. The students, workers, and people who led the July Uprising wrote their demands and expectations on walls across the country. A key focus of those demands was the democratic reform of the state system. In line with that goal, we formed several reform commissions. Among the recommendations submitted by the main commissions, we have already implemented many short-term and urgently needed reforms. These reforms will bring dynamism to the economic sector, the justice system, and public administration; transparency and accountability will increase significantly; corruption, irregularities, and harassment will be reduced. To implement long-term reforms, we established the National Consensus Commission. Over 30 political parties and alliances participated enthusiastically and shared their views,” he explained.

Prof Yunus was very clear while stating that the countrymen  must ensure that no future government can ever become fascist again. The state must be restructured in such a way that any sign of fascism, wherever it appears, can be immediately eradicated right there, so the people do not need to wait 16 years (read Hasina’s rule in Dhaka from 2008 till her departure last year) and never again lose so many lives. Bangladesh must never again require another mass uprising. Mentioning about the trial of crimes against humanity committed in July & August 2024 has been  progressing firmly as the formal hearing phase has also begun. Those involved in the horrific massacres of history will be brought to justice on the soil of this country, declared Prof Yunus, adding that the trial process and its outcomes would  be revealed to the public step by step and the entire process of justice is being kept transparent.

“Please pray that the election (held before the month of Ramadan) is held peacefully and smoothly, and that every citizen can contribute to building a ‘New Bangladesh’ successfully. On behalf of the government, we will provide all possible support and cooperation to ensure that the election is free, fair, peaceful, and festive. Let this election be remembered in the country’s history for its celebratory spirit, peaceful conduct, voter turnout, harmony, and sincerity,” affirmed Prof Yunus, adding that the women voters across the country can vote freely and enthusiastically, where the responsible authorities will make all necessary arrangements to ensure a wave of women voters at the polling centers.

He did not forget to remind tyrannies of the Hasina regime, when the citizens were deprived of their right to vote. Many electorates would be voting for the first time in their lives, and they are expected to exercise their franchises amidst festivities to make the day memorable. Among them will be new women voters, new male voters, where some who were eligible to vote 15 years ago, but never got the opportunity. Some who were eligible 10 years ago, 5 years ago, but never voted, and they all will participate in the electoral processes. The celebrated personality, whom Hasina wanted to put in jails under fictitious allegations, vowed  to make the election day feel like Eid, where the joy of voting will be shared by all in the presence of family members.

“One of the key conditions of a thriving democracy is freedom of the press. Looking at our past, it becomes clear that the biggest and earliest obstacle to free journalism was the government itself. The interim government has taken several steps to remove these obstacles. We have opened the space for criticism. Now, anyone, whether through mainstream or social media, can freely criticize the government. Even state-run media can now openly criticize the authorities, something that was unthinkable in the recent past. To ensure accountability among journalists, the government has restructured the Press Council,” revealed Prof Yunus, adding that one of the greatest threats to journalism during the autocratic regime was the Digital (Cyber) Security Act, which has been repealed. And hence, all cases filed against journalists under this law were already withdrawn.

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