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Join on Telegram Rabat – Muhammad Yunus announced, on August 5, that Bangladesh will hold its first elections since the fall of Sheikh Hasina before February.
This announcement was made after a day of celebrations in the nation’s capital, Dhaka. Concerts, rallies, and prayer sessions were held to celebrate the second liberation.
Throughout the celebrations, the police were on high alert with street patrols to deter members of the now-banned Awami League.
These celebrations were held to mark the first anniversary of the overthrow of Sheikh Hasina and culminated in the announcement. Yunus said that the state would be the centre of the nation’s democratization process.
“We will step into the final and most important phase after delivering this speech to you and that is the transfer of power to an elected government,” said Yunus on stage. “On behalf of the government, we will extend all necessary support to ensure that the election is free, peaceful and celebratory in spirit.”
The interim leader was joined on the stage by representatives of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami, and National Citizen Party.
Yunus had previously said that the elections would be held in April, but due to pressure from democratic parties asking for it to take place before Ramadan, he changed the date.
The request that will be formally sent by Yunus to the election commission will decide on the date to hold the democratic vote, which will build a legitimate government mandate.
When discussing his intention to vote, Yunus stated: “For many years, none of us have been able to vote. This time, we will all vote. No one will be left out. Let us all be able to say that I cast my vote to set the country on the path to building a new Bangladesh.”
The interim government of Bangladesh created after the overthrow of Hasina last year has been leading a democratic reform process. In July, Yunus made the July Declaration, a 28-point document that gave constitutional recognition to the student-led uprising and promised democratic reform.
Sheikh Hasina’s administration has been accused of numerous human rights abuses, abductions, and murders. She was removed from office following a student-backed uprising in 2024 and remains in India under absentia.
The election is seen as a beacon of hope for democracy in Bangladesh, and if it works well, could strengthen the nature of governance within the state.
