Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has reiterated his government’s commitment to holding a free, fair, transparent, and festive general election in the first half of February next year.
He said the interim government is determined to ensure the polls take place on schedule despite attempts by some forces to delay them.
“We have already announced the election timeline. It will be held at the beginning of February, just before Ramadan,” Professor Yunus said on Wednesday (17 September) during a meeting with a delegation of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) at the state guesthouse Jamuna.
He noted that public enthusiasm, especially among young people, is rising as student union elections are being held at universities for the first time in more than three decades. “Many young voters will cast ballots for the first time in over 15 years,” he said, expressing hope that February’s polls will mark “a new beginning for Bangladesh” and “a new chapter in the nation’s history.”
During the hour-long discussion, the Chief Adviser and the EU lawmakers exchanged views on the government’s reform initiatives, Bangladesh’s development and democratic transition, the EU’s continued support, and the ongoing Rohingya humanitarian crisis.
The visiting legislators said the upcoming election could be a “defining moment” for Bangladesh. One MEP praised the Chief Adviser and his team’s efforts over the past 14 months, while a Dutch MEP remarked that Bangladesh could be among the few countries “where everything is moving in the right direction.”
Professor Yunus thanked the EU for its steadfast support and urged increased funding for the more than one million Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh, particularly to help reopen schools in the camps that were recently shut due to funding shortages.
Lutfe Siddique, the Chief Adviser’s special envoy, highlighted the interim government’s ongoing labor reforms, saying such measures would help strengthen Bangladesh–EU relations.
