Bangladesh to hold national elections in early April 2026.
Bangladesh’s temporary government has confirmed that the country will go to the polls in early April 2026, marking the first national elections since the dramatic exit of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024. The announcement was made by interim leader Muhammad Yunus, who addressed the nation just before Eid al-Adha.
Yunus, the 84-year-old Nobel laureate, assured citizens that the government is working hard to rebuild democratic systems after years of political turmoil. “We are putting all efforts into creating the right space for free and fair elections,” he said during the televised statement. “Bangladesh has faced serious problems whenever it held controversial or flawed elections.”
Reform First, Elections Next
Although Yunus’s administration had promised to hold elections by mid-2026, pressure had been mounting from opposition groups and top military officials to push the date forward. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman had both demanded that polls be held by December 2025.
However, Yunus defended the April date, saying holding rushed elections without fixing the broken system could lead to even more political unrest. “When elections are staged without structure, those involved face blame and those elected face rejection,” he noted. He stressed that institutional changes must come first.
The 2024 resignation of Hasina, after a wave of student demonstrations, opened the door for Yunus to lead a caretaker government. Her administration had been accused of stifling critics, manipulating elections, and misusing state power.
Yunus wrapped up by underlining the importance of unity and widespread participation. “A credible election with full involvement of all groups is our priority, so we don’t fall into another cycle of instability,” he concluded.
The road to Bangladesh’s next chapter remains tense, but the election date offers a clear direction forward for the recovering nation.