Yunus announces election in April 2026, says “Bangladesh is in a state of war”

Bangladesh’s interim authorities caput Muhammad Yunus. File. | Photo Credit: Reuters

Bangladesh volition person elections during the archetypal fractional of April 2026, Chief Adviser of the interim authorities Mohammed Yunus announced connected Friday (June 6, 2025). In a nationally televised code up of the Id holidays, Mr. Yunus said Bangladesh is successful a “state of war”, and accused the “domestic and planetary supporters of the defeated fascist government” of attempting to destabilise the interim government.

“The adjacent nationalist predetermination volition beryllium held successful the archetypal fractional of adjacent year’s April. We privation specified an predetermination which volition pull the largest fig of governmental parties and governmental leaders. A ample fig of young radical volition get a accidental to enactment successful this election,” said Mr. Yunus, successful a code that came days aft the Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Waker-uz-Zaman, and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) expressed unhappiness implicit the hold successful announcing election, and demanded that the polls beryllium held by December this year.

Mr. Yunus, successful his speech, did not sanction Sheikh Hasina but referred to the deposed PM and her authorities arsenic the “defeated fascist government” and said helium has stuck to his erstwhile committedness of holding predetermination betwixt December 2025 and June 2026.

Referring to the prevailing uncertain circumstances, Mr. Yunus said Bangladesh is successful a “state of war” and urged the state to beryllium united. “The deposed fascist government and its home and planetary supporters are trying to derail the efforts to found a caller Bangladesh that has travel up aft the July uprising. They volition effort to re-establish their power implicit Bangladesh. The defeated powerfulness and their supporters are waiting to onslaught astatine america again. We are successful a authorities of warfare and truthful we person to stay united,” said Mr. Yunus.

“Under nary circumstances, we volition let them to succeed,” helium said.

On June 16, the International Crimes Tribunal successful Dhaka volition instrumentality up the lawsuit of Ms. Hasina and her Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who were indicted by the ICT past Sunday. The interim authorities has suspended each governmental activities of the Awami League, the enactment of Ms. Hasina.

Published - June 06, 2025 07:42 p.m. IST