Bangladesh: Yunus Requests EC To Conduct Parliamentary Election In February

Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus announced on Tuesday that the parliamentary election will be in February. The country marked a year of the student-led uprising that led to the overthrow of former Sheikh Hasina's government.

Muhammad Yunus, during a television address, requested the Election Commission to organise the election before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan is expected to begin on the evening of Tuesday, February 17, 2026.

On Tuesday, Yunus also marked the uprising’s anniversary by saying its spirit would build the future of the South Asian nation’s democracy. The election date has been one concern. The treatment of Hasina’s now-banned political party is another.

Yunus has promised an internationally acceptable election, but his critics say it could be questionable without her Awami League party as it still has a significant support base.

Hasina has been in exile in India since August 5, 2024, after ruling Bangladesh for over 15 years. She faces trial for crimes against humanity over the hundreds of deaths during the student-led uprising.

Yunus had sought an April election, but major political parties, mainly the Bangladesh Nationalist Party led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, voiced for the election to be conducted in February.

Senior leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the Jamaat-e-Islami party were present during the address. Zia is Hasina’s archrival, and her party is the main contender for power in the upcoming election.

The presence of the Jamaat-e-Islami, the country’s largest Islamist party, was especially visible on the streets of the capital, Dhaka. The supporters of its student wing carried the flags of Bangladesh and Palestine.

Bangladesh is at a crossroads, with political parties struggling to find a way forward with inclusive politics. The rise of the Jamaat-e-Islami and other Islamist forces has drawn attention since Hasina’s ouster.