Dhaka ( The COW News Digital)Bangladesh’s interim leader Mohammad Yunus has officially announced that the country’s general elections will be held in February 2026, marking a major milestone exactly one year after the end of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government.
In a national address broadcast on state television, Mohammad Yunus confirmed that a formal letter will be sent to the Chief Election Commissioner requesting that the elections be conducted before the holy month of Ramadan, which is expected in April. The initial proposed election date had been April 2026, but pressure from opposition parties and civil society led to the advancement of the schedule.
The announcement was met with widespread celebration from student groups and political reformists, many of whom had played a central role in protests that led to the resignation of Hasina in August 2024 after years of what critics described as authoritarian rule.
“This marks the beginning of the final and most important phase of the transition of power,” Yunus said, calling on the nation to pray for free, fair, and peaceful elections that will pave the way for a “new Bangladesh.”
The interim leader was joined by senior figures from major political parties, who unveiled a national roadmap for democratic reform, unity, and transparent governance. Among the supporters was the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by Khaleda Zia, a long-time political rival of Hasina, who had demanded early elections before Ramadan.
A key force behind this demand was the youth-led protest movement, which has since evolved into a political organization known as the National Citizen Party. The group had campaigned vigorously for early elections and structural political reforms, gaining significant public support.
The student protests that began in mid-2024 culminated in the dramatic resignation and reported flight of Sheikh Hasina to India on August 5, 2024. Her departure ended over a decade of tight political control and sparked hope for a new democratic era in Bangladesh.
With the election date now confirmed for February 2026, all eyes are on the Election Commission to finalize the schedule and ensure transparent proceedings that reflect the aspirations of a politically reawakened population.
