Chief Adviser of the interim Dr. Muhammad Yunus has said that Bangladesh’s national election will be held in February next year, after which he will step down and not hold any position in the next government.
In an article published Thursday by the Utah-based news outlet Deseret News, Dr. Yunus reflected on last year’s mass uprising, his assumption of the role of Chief Adviser, and the reforms carried out under the interim administration.
“I have made it clear: the national election will be held in February. After that, I will not be in any elected or appointed position in the new government,” he wrote.
He emphasized that the core mission of his administration is to ensure a free, fair, and peaceful election where political parties can present their programs to voters.
“Our mission is to make sure every eligible voter can cast their ballot—including those living abroad. This is a big task, but we are committed to completing it,” Yunus added.
The article underscored the caretaker government’s pledge to conclude its work once the election is held and a new elected government takes office.
Professor Yunus’s article is presented here in full—
One year ago this month, thousands of Bangladesh’s bravest and most determined students, backed by countless others from all segments of our society, ended a dark chapter in our nation’s history. Through peaceful protests, brutally repressed until the very end, they forced an autocrat to flee the country on August 5.
In the power vacuum that followed, student leaders urged me to lead an interim government tasked with stabilizing the nation and charting a path to democratic renewal. I initially declined. But when they insisted, I reflected on the lives and limbs they and so many other young people had sacrificed. I could not walk away.
On August 8, 2024 I was sworn in alongside a cabinet of policy specialists and civil society leaders.
What began as a seemingly simple demand — to ensure fairness in allocating public sector jobs — ignited the world’s first Generation Z revolution. It has become a model for how young people can step forward to confront humanity’s greatest challenges: war, climate change, poverty, unemployment and inequality.
We are fortunate they refused to “wait their turn.” With civilization veering off course in so many ways, they understood that the moment for action is now.
One of the clearest signs that our transition from autocracy to democracy was taking hold came when The Economist named Bangladesh its “Country of the Year” for 2024. We had been so busy rebuilding the economy, preparing for elections and recovering billions of dollars in stolen assets that we didn’t realize until then how strongly the world had taken notice of our progress. We have also deeply appreciated the Deseret News’ excellent coverage of our journey.
One of our top priorities was to ensure that the families of those brutally murdered under the prior regime and the thousands who were injured — many grievously — have received compensation, even as we mourn with them. We have also made significant progress in recovering money looted by the former government and its cronies. Transparency International Bangladesh estimates the regime siphoned off $10 billion to $15 billion per year for 15 years. That is money worth fighting for; the stakes are immense.
When I took office as the head of the interim government, I was stunned by the scale of dysfunction. Police had abandoned their posts. Foreign reserves were dwindling. The economy was in ruins. Democracy had collapsed. Thousands languished in state-run torture chambers. Civil servants denied promotions for insufficient demonstrations of loyalty to the party in power demanded justice.
Bit by bit, we’ve begun to rebuild. The political parties that resisted the dictatorship, alongside newly formed ones, have offered ideas, energy and action. The armed forces, which showed admirable restraint on August 5 in the face of calls to slaughter the protesters, continue to act professionally and have helped restore law and order.
I have made it clear: national elections will take place next February. I will not serve in any elected or appointed role in the government that follows.
Our administration’s core mission is to deliver a free, fair and peaceful election, one where political parties can make their case to the voters. Enabling all eligible citizens to cast their vote, including those living abroad, remains a monumental task. But we are committed to completing it.
We have also reset our foreign policy to strengthen positive relations with our neighbors and global partners.
As the world’s eighth most populous country, Bangladesh can and must be a linchpin for regional stability and prosperity in South and Southeast Asia. We are especially grateful for the support of the Trump Administration and Secretary Rubio, with whom I recently had a productive and friendly conversation focused on trade and investment that can benefit both our nations.
The UK, Japan, the European Union, the World Bank Group and the United Nations have also stepped forward to support us. We are not in this alone.
In parallel with election preparation, we’ve proposed a sweeping set of reforms, shaped through broad consultation with experts, political parties and citizens. Perhaps the most critical is a constitutional amendment to establish strong checks and balances so that Bangladesh never again slips into autocracy.
I commend and thank Bangladesh’s youth, including those in our global diaspora, for showing how frustration with inherited problems can be transformed into a blueprint for renewal. Their courage reminds us that meaningful change demands effort and sacrifice.
Their example also inspires hope that more members of Gen Z — as well as their grandparents and parents in Gen X and millennials and the young digital natives of Gen Alpha — will build what I call a World of Three Zeroes: zero unemployment, zero poverty and zero net carbon emissions.
If Bangladesh is finally to become a country where all of its people can live in security and dignity, it will be due to the determination, imagination and courage of millions of Bangladeshis over the coming months and years.
All of those who have the privilege and responsibility of sharing in this crucial moment with us, including our many friends in Utah, are our best hope — and perhaps our last.
