 "Bangladesh to stick to election timeline despite protests, Yunus tells US envoy")
As Bangladesh grapples with unrest following the death of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi, the country’s interim leadership has announced that national elections will go ahead as planned on February 12, 2026.
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus told the US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia that the democratic process must continue despite the political tensions gripping the nation.
Election Will Be Held on Time, Chief Adviser Tells US Special Envoy
— Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh (@ChiefAdviserGoB) December 22, 2025
DHAKA, December 22: Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Monday reiterated his commitment to holding general elections on February 12.
"The nation is eagerly waiting to exercise their voting rights which…
“It’s crucial that we hold the polls on time,” Yunus said in remarks relayed through his office during a phone call with the envoy.
The February vote will include both parliamentary elections and a referendum on constitutional reforms enacted after last year’s upheavals.
Unrest after Hadi’s killing
Bangladesh has been rocked by widespread protests and violence since Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent leader of the 2024 student protests and an aspiring candidate in the upcoming election, died from gunshot wounds sustained in an assassination attempt.
Hadi, who was shot in Dhaka and later died in Singapore, had been a polarising figure whose death has sparked anger across the country.
The aftermath saw mobs vandalise major newspaper offices and cultural institutions, with reports of attacks on the Prothom Alo and Daily Star media buildings. Demonstrators also targeted symbols of political opposition and diplomatic sites, including India’s Assistant High Commission in Chattogram, swelling diplomatic tensions between Bangladesh and its neighbour.
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View AllSecurity forces have been deployed throughout the capital Dhaka and other cities to contain the unrest, and the interim government declared a national day of mourning as tens of thousands attended Hadi’s funeral. Yunus and other officials called for calm while pledging justice for the activist.
The political crisis has also spilled into Bangladesh’s foreign relations.
India temporarily suspended visa services at some centres amid concerns for its diplomatic missions, and New Delhi has expressed unease about the security situation.
With protests continuing and minority safety concerns rising, some journalists and political commentators have warned that the unrest sets a troubling precedent ahead of the elections.
Reaz Ahmad, senior Bangladeshi journalist and editor of Dhaka Tribune, sharply criticised the violence that followed the death of Inqilab Moncho leader Osman Hadi, saying it revealed major lapses in law and order and sent the wrong signal ahead of the national elections.
“Some fringe elements within the massive crowd expressing their grief and sympathies turned extremely violent,” he told ANI.
Still, the Yunus administration insists the electoral timetable must be respected and that Bangladesh will uphold its democratic commitments despite the ongoing turmoil.
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